Hope in the ugly Reality
by Kaoru likes One Piece
Summary: Modern AU. When Luffy meets Nami, a brave girl with a past she doesn't want to share, he is impressed, because in this harsh city its each for his own, but she is different. Will Luffy be able to break her shell? what is HE hidding? LuNa with StrawHats
1. Chapter 1

Hello!  
>I suddenly had this idea over the weekend and it wouldn't go away! -don't worry I didn't abandon Opening Pandora's box or my other fics ideas-<p>

It's a Modern AU setting with our favorite characters. OCC will be at its minimum possible I swear, making changes only to adapt to a modern life setting.

It's a LuNa with every straw hat participating in the story line in a way or another. I hope you give this fic a chance. It will have dark subjects as slavery, human trafficking and other heavy subjects, so it's rated T. For the sake of the story everyone is a little older, mid twenties or so.

As usual, I must warn I'm not a native English speaker so grammar mistakes must be expected, I try to re-read edit and spell check as much as I can, but I know I have errors, and I'm sorry for that.

Reviews and comments are always welcomed and apreciated!

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><p><strong>Hope in the ugly Reality<strong>  
><strong>Chapter I: You are brave; I like that<strong>  
><em>bye Kaoru like One Piece<em>

New Logetown was a modern metropolis, polluted, overpopulated, twenty million souls struggling to get by day by day with their routine filled mundane lives. Many businessmen and women roamed the downtown proud of their office jobs, struggling to climb the corporate ladder, dreaming that some day they would get 'that position' or another, without realizing their lives were wasted in companies that didn't care less whether they came or go as long as they could make an extra buck out of their time and talent.

Then there were the opportunity seekers, people coming from smaller towns, or from remote cities, trying to get by in this harsh metropolis's reality, often ending up as taxi drivers or fast food parlor employees, if they were lucky. And if they weren't, the dark face of the city often sucked them in.  
>And of course, in such a city all type of crime could be expected, from normal robbery, to murder, drug trafficking, human trafficking. The overwhelmed, underpaid, corrupt police force could do little about most of it, and often could care less.<p>

With a breed of corrupt politicians moving behind the scenes, it was unlikely the situation would get better any time soon.

So it was this day that Akagami D. Luffy was sitting on a bench in the park, a big brown bag of fried chicken legs in a hand while he munched a piece with greasy lips. He was a dark haired young man, about 25 years old, he wore red dress shirt with black slacks that were unusually folded –or cut down- down to his knees and a pair of sandals that didn't match with the rest of the attire at all. He had a small scar under his left eye and he would be kind of handsome if not ruining the image by the disgusting way he was eating his food.

As much as he seemed distracted, if you looked closely you could notice he was watching intently towards a man in the middle of a grass field. Said man was a clown, red nose, white paint covering his face, he had a funny hat that resembled a pirate hat you may wear on a hallowing night and he wore a striped red and white shirt with white pants and black boots. He had a bunch of colorful balloons and was currently giving them away and amusing children with his antics.

But there was something off about this clown, most parents could tell, because as soon as the children got their balloon, their parents ushered them away quickly from the man.

A few yards away from Luffy, in another bench, there was this gorgeous red headed woman, she had red hair, almost orange that shone brightly in the sun and reached just above her shoulders, she was eating a sandwich with a coke, and seemed to be thinking deeply of something. The woman was dressed in tight jean pants and a black shirt with star, a popular Crimnin t-shirt, very expensive too.

Normally, Luffy wouldn't pay any mind to a random woman in the street, even one as gorgeous as she was. But she caught his attention because she was looking at the same thing he was. The clown.

Said clown made his move when suddenly a red plastic ball rolled besides him and an eight year old ran to it, the clown knelled besides the boy and spoke to him. You could tell over the distance there was a brief conversation, a fake reassuring smile, and then the clown had his hand on the child's shoulder, leading him away towards a set of bushes. Away from the main path of the park, away from prying eyes.

Luffy groaned, he wasn't a cop, he didn't want to mess with this kind of things, but he couldn't let it go either… He knew what it was to be a street boy, to be helpless in the hands of nasty adults. He was about to get up and follow the clown when he noticed the red head beat him to it.

So she had noticed too.

With grace, she walked quickly towards the direction the clown had taken and disappeared behind the bushes, Luffy followed swiftly.

The park was dense, and there were some areas with storage buildings meant for the maintenance people, they were usually closed, but since such constructions were secluded, they provided a nice cover for someone wanting to pass thought the park unnoticed.

The red headed woman found the clown and the crying child just behind a crate in the back of such a building, she was rabid and her body was shaking in rage.

"You clown, let that child go, NOW!" she demanded.

Said clown snarled and got up from his kneeling position, he dropped the sweet act with the kid and pulled out a knife and he pushed the blade near the child's throat "Don't move from here kiddo or I will kill your mommy and daddy".

The poor kid just nodded while tears dropped furiously from his eyes and he swallowed, mucus running down his nose.

The clown turned towards the woman.

"This is not your business, woman, go away now and you live"

The red head didn't flinch "You are disgusting, taking advantage of little children, makes me sick, let him go NOW!"

And the clown smiled a sick, twisted smile, walking towards her, his big knife shone under a stray ray of sunlight "…or what, are you going to call the police?" he started to laugh maniacally and then lunched towards the woman.

She jumped out of the way in time and dropped a kick towards his midsection. The man doubled over when his air was knocked out and he hissed more in rage than pain.

"You bitch!" he roared launching towards the woman again, he was quick, and strong, almost twice the size of the woman, she jumped back but he managed to grace her shoulder with the tip of his sharp knife.

She hissed in pain and her right hand flew towards her shoulder, but her determined look wouldn't go away, she didn't look scared at all.

"Hey, red nose" a male voice called.

The clown turned around and found a skinny man looking at him, he was shorter than he was and didn't look strong at all.

"Who are you calling RED NOSE you wimp!" the clown shouted in rage, launching towards Luffy, knife first. The red headed woman screamed "Watch out!" but it wasn't necessary, it seemed the dark haired man was skilled enough. With a swift movement he dodged, took the clown's hand, pulled the clown's wrist back and it made a sickening cracking sound as the pedophile howled in pain and the knife dropped to the floor.

"You fucker!" The clown yelled clutching his hand, kneeling with his back towards Luffy. The dark haired boy never got to see his smirk, or the small gun he was hiding on his left boot. Without warning he turned around and shot.

The shot was fired with his left hand, and luckily the aiming was very poor. Luffy wasted no time and kicked the gun away from his hand.

"You bastard" the dark haired boy snarled.  
>Then he clutched the clown's shirt and made him rise to a standing position, "You make me sick" and with that his knee connected with the clown's abdomen, making him howl in pain and double over, the perverted man ending up in the floor whimpering in pain.<p>

Luffy smirked proudly and turned around, finding the red headed woman comforting the small child, he walked towards them.

"You are brave" He told her.

She barely looked at him "You are pretty strong yourself… you didn't look scared when he shot you"

Luffy smiled, "off course; I wouldn't be defeated by the likes of him!" He said laughing. Then he looked to the gash over her shoulder "You are bleeding, are you okay?" he asked with concern.

She brushed him off "I'm fine, it's nothing really, already stopped bleeding…" she paused from a few seconds "Should we call the police?" she asked, hesitant.

Luffy pulled his hands in his pockets "A waste of time, he will be out in a couple of days… but don't worry, he won't be around here anymore if I can help it… for now, let's take the little guy back with his parents"

They soon took the path leading to the outskirts of the park, right where they were sitting before, and soon enough they found a frantic woman screaming for her lost child.

A happy reunion soon followed, thanks were given and Luffy and the red haired woman were left alone again in the park.

"Hey, let me take you to a doctor to have a look on that" Luffy offered with a smile.

"Not necessary, see? The bastard ruined my new shirt… but the gash is shallow, already stopped bleeding and all".

"Well… I'm hungry… let me buy you some lunch!" the dark haired boy offered. The red haired woman stopped and looked at him funny,

"Why would you…"

"Why? Because I'm hungry! And I think you are pretty cool too, he had a knife and you didn't look scared at all, I like that" his smile was wide and his eyes honest. She didn't know what made her accept, but she smiled back and nodded.

"Alright but you pay… but first tell me your name will you?"

"Akagami D. Luffy" he said simply and started to walk, "I know a place across the street that serves great meat…"

She nodded, "I'm Nami, by the way"

"Just Nami?" he asked looking at her over his shoulder. She simply nodded and he shrugged, if she didn't want to share her last name he wouldn't push it.

They were soon sitting on a nice café place, big windows, old fashioned booth stalls, and a homey, clean environment with nice young waitresses clad in pink uniforms. A young girl with brown hair pulled in a ponytail approached them.

"Oh Luffy! Glad to see you around here again! The usual?"

"Yes Rika, please!" He smiled. The young girl turned towards Nami "And you?"

Nami glimpsed the menu and asked for a salad and orange juice, and in response Luffy made a face, "Nami, they've got great meat here! I'm paying you don't need to ask for salad" he said almost annoyed.

Nami and Rika laughed "Luffy is such a big fan of meat! He is my favorite customer too! He is putting me thought nursery school with his tips!" the waitress said before turning away to fulfill their order.

"So Luffy…" Nami started making conversation, "Are you usually playing hero on the park like that? Or do you have a job?"

"…hero? Nahh I like heroes but I don't wanna be one… and I sorta have a job, If you can call it that… and you? Do you usually chase perverted clowns all over the park?" he turned the conversation over to her.

She looked thoughtful and glimpsed out the window, random people passing by, busy with their own troubles… she finally sighed "Of course not… I have enough problems as it is but… I couldn't let that poor child in the hands of that pervert…"

Rika appeared on that moment and served the drinks without interrupting their conversation; Luffy said a quick thank you and started sipping his coke. "Y' know" he began.. "In this city most people would have walked away, pretending they didn't see anything…. The brave ones would have called our useless police force… but you Nami… you followed him… I was impressed" he said casually.

Nami almost blushed, her eyes fixed on her orange juice "Well… I don't trust police… so it was the only way… but anyway, if not for you I don't know if I could have rescued the boy at all"

Luffy laughed "Of course you would have, you are that kind of person"

The red headed woman looked puzzled, her pupils trembling as if she was shocked by his words "You don't know what kind of person I'm" she snapped almost angry.

"Of course I do! You are a good person" he said simply. Her words got stuck on her throat and before she could say something the food was served. A salad for her and a big plate of juicy steaks for him.

He started gulping down his food while Nami poked her salad with a fork, thinking deeply about the words he said. If only he knew. This man in front of her was so nice, she was sure she wasn't the kind of girl that such a guy should hang out with; she didn't even understand why she had accepted to have lunch with him.

"Y' know the way you eat is kinda gross" she commented with her hand supporting her chin.

"Sowy I luve mwet" he muttered between bites. Nami could only laugh at his antics. They talked some more, he commented he was a kung fu teacher, and she thought it was kind of cool. That would explain why he dealed with the perverted clown so easily.

She didn't want to talk much about herself, trying to change topics every time he asked a personal question. When the food was gone Nami just thanked him for the lunch and a good conversation and started to leave, getting up.

"Hey, I can give you a ride home if you want" He offered with a big smile.

"No thank you" she answered simply. He was nice and all, but in this city you could never tell. Besides, she didn't want him to know where she lived… how she lived.

"But Nami" he scratched his head. Did she have such a bad time with him?

"Luffy it was nice meeting you and all, and I hope I can see you around some other time, thanks for the food"

And with that, she turned around and walked away. Leaving a puzzled man looking at her retreating back.

After a while the waitress approached his booth  
>"You should have asked for her cell number Luffy" Rika said with a smile "it's the first time I see you buying lunch for a girl"<p>

"Wahh! I didn't think of that!" He said, eyes wild, he thanked Rika and dropped a big tip over the table, running away as fast as he could.

When he reached the busy street outside the dinner not a red hair could be seen. She was long gone.

He pouted and kicked an empty soda can…

He decided he would find Nami, it didn't matter if he didn't have her number… or address… or her last name.

He decided he liked Nami, and he would find her no matter what.

..

What do you think?

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><p>Is this fic promising? Did you like it?<br>Let me hear your comments!

(I'm sorry I made Buggy such an ugly SOF but hey, this fic is supposed to have a modern life reality base, and reality is nasty...)


	2. Chapter 2

Hello guys n' girls :)

I'm so happy about the reviews I've got in the last chapter! Thanks so much!

I hope you enjoy this part

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><p><strong>Hope in the ugly Reality<strong>  
>Chapter II: Meeting Everyone<br>_bye Kaoru like One Piece_

Luffy couldn't stop thinking about Nami all day long, there was something about her, something that called out for him, he couldn't tell what it was but he sure wanted to meet her again. He sighed, after taking care of the clown he went towards his favorite place, a coffee house called Central Perk, where he usually hanged out in the afternoons.

It was a nice place, with big windows and soft lighting, tables and chairs were placed about the corners and on the sides, but the thing Luffy loved the most about the place was the big sofa and side couches right in the middle of the shop, a small coffee table the finishing touch for the homey assembly.

"Hey Guys!" He said approaching his group of friends, who were currently seating in the couches and big sofa in the middle of the coffee parlor.

"Hey Luffy!" A long nosed man wearing a light blue tshirt with brown pants waved at him, he was sitting on the single couch, a small netbook on his lap as he typed furiously on the keyboard.

Sitting on the bigger dark orange sofa there was a blond haired man on a black suit, next to him a light brown blue eyed younger man in the middle and to his left, a beautiful dark haired woman. On the other single couch, opposite to the long nosed guy, stood a green haired man, he wore a simple white shirt with dark pants.

"Hey Luffy, you are late" he said simply.

"Sorry guys, something came up" since there were no more places available he just took a seat on the bigger sofa's arm, next to the dark haired woman, she was wearing a white blouse with a really deep cleavage with a tight black dress and matching long boots.

"I meet a girl today" the new comer announced simply.

Usopp stopped typing, Sanji almost choked on his tea, Chopper's jaw dropped and Robin rose an eyebrow. Zoro said nothing.

"A girl as… a girl you would date?" the long nosed guy asked. Luffy just smiled widely "mm dunno, I just think we can be friends with her, she is kinda cool. Tried to stop this weird clown from snatching a boy in the park today".

He proceeded to tell them about the events that took place earlier and they were impressed enough, Luffy was right, it was unusual to meet a person like that in this kind of city.

"So… are you planning to meet her again Luffy?" Chopper asked with his sweet voice, he was a med student, barely eighteen; but was several grades ahead because he was considered a prodigy student.

"Yeah!" he said smiling, but then he frowned "but I forgot to ask her number… or her address… I don't know anything about her really! But I bet I will find her again"

"And you will find her… how" Zoro asked with a dead pan expression. Luffy just laughed.

"Dunno, I just will…Shihihihi"

Everyone groaned and Robin smiled.

"Is she pretty?" the blonde headed man asked, while taking deep whiff of smoke.

"mmm I guess so… her hair looks like an orange and she is kinda pretty I guess" Luffy answered simply. Sanji's eyes turned to hearts as he stood up "I will help you find her! I love red heads!" he started to babble and suddenly looked at Robin

"Don't be jealous my angel, there's always Sanji left for you too!" He crooned.

The dark haired woman didn't move her eyes from the book she was reading "I won't, don't worry about it" she said with a bored expression.

"Ohh I love when Robin-chwan is cold with me!" the blonde crooned. The green haired man rolled his eyes "moron" he muttered.

"What did you say you moss head?"

"I said, you are a MORON, swirly brow, gotta problem with that?"  
>And as usual the two 'friends' started to argue, throwing insults back and forth while Luffy laughed at their antics.<p>

…

The next day,

Nami was walking down her usual path towards her work and decided she wouldn't go through the usual route over the park, just in case Luffy was there, it was a longer walk, but it was worth it if she could avoid the smiling, handsome black haired guy she had met the day before.

She sighed… it was unusual to meet a man like Luffy, he had stared towards her eyes the whole time, talking to her like she was a human being and not a pretty doll. It was too much, she knew she had liked his company a little too much; she couldn't afford to like him.

While she mused over her thoughts men all ages stared at her, at her chest, at her butt, she looked especially nice today, tight red jeans, expensive white high heeled shoes, designer purse, a white halter top obviously made of good quality, and golden jewels here and there and a classy touch of makeup.

She could have taken a cab to her work, but she enjoyed walking over the park, glimpsing at the happy families, the normal couples, the children playing on the grass, it reminded her that in this world some innocence was left, some people was actually happy. Of course the stupid clown had to ruin her stroll, reminding her of the ugliness of this world.

At the same time she mused about this, Luffy was sitting on the same bench as the day before, and once again he was munching some unhealthy greasy fast food while waiting for the girl he couldn't stop thinking about. An hour went by, and not a red hair could be seen.

Eventually, his cell phone rang "oi Luffy, I saw a red head but she was an ugly fat lady, I don't think it's the girl you were talking about, and if she is, then you gotta have your shitty eyes checked out man"

"No Sanji, she wasn't fat at all…"

"Then I'm sorry Luffy, gotta run help the shitty geezer back at the restaurant, my shift starts in half an hour".

Luffy thanked his friend and said goodbye and sighed, Chopper already had went home too, he had to study for some boring exams. That left him alone in the park, waiting… By the time the sun was setting down, he was hungry and disappointed; the red haired girl didn't show up.

Four days later, many hours in the park and Luffy didn't saw a single strand of red hair similar to hers. Still, he couldn't give up, he wouldn't give up. Zoro had suggested he asked for Shank's help, but Luffy refused, he couldn't go running to his father every time something came up.

So he kept waiting for her, even if his friends had given up on him by now, even Sanji had lost interest in finding some random red haired woman named Nami.

Five days after their first encounter, Nami felt it was safe enough to stroll on the park like she used to, by now, Luffy would be long gone -she hoped- and she couldn't wait to walk among the peaceful, pine smelling paths off the park, she did take pleasure on little things after all.

So imagine her face when she turned a corner, and there, waiving at her, stood a dark haired, smiling guy "Nami! Finally!", dressed in dark jeans cut down to his knees and a red shirt with the number 56 in big yellow bold letters.

For a second her heart stopped, and then she watched that smile, that sweet, genuine wide smile and her heart warmed, before she could help it… she waved back "Luffy!"

He ran to her, catching up quickly "Hey Nami, I'm so glad I found you, I forgot to ask for your number the other day" he said simply.

She smirked, men were so obvious "…So you wanna go out with me huh?" she asked, her eyes hidden by her long bangs, her voice sounded almost annoyed, almost disappointed.

"huh? No, I just wanted you to meet my friends, I told them about you, and they want to meet you too" he smiled widely again. Her heart almost stopped…. So…Luffy didn't want to get into her panties? He just wanted her to meet his friends? There couldn't possibly be a man like him… could it?

"Nami? Are you ok?" he asked when she made no movement, then she smiled warmly to him "Yeah… I'm fine… but I'm headed to work now so…"

"Really? That sucks… can you, I don't know, call sick or something?"

She started to laugh "You know what… I can't but I can check if I have any appointments… wait a sec" She pulled an expensive looking, last model cell phone from her designer purse and dialed a number. After turning away from Luffy so he wouldn't hear she muttered something and nodded.

"Well… seems my agenda is free until tonight so… if you wanna do something now it's the time".

"GREAT!" he said smiling "Let's go to the coffee shop, the guys are ALWAYS hanging out there" he said. She shrugged, as long as it was a public place she would be fine, besides… Luffy didn't look much of a treat… he seemed like a really good man.

Boy was she surprised when he walked her towards his car and pulled off the alarm, the doors snapping open with a swift 'tch' sound…

"THAT IS YOUR CAR!" she snapped with her jaw dropping "it's a freaking Audi R8!" she started to run all around the car, her hand caressing the smooth red surface and curves of the exquisite –and very expensive- piece of machinery.

"ohh this!" he said casually "Nice huh? My dad gave it to me a while ago" he climbed onto the driver's seat and pulled some stylish sunglasses from a compartment. Nami was drooling over.

"Are you rich or something? Didn't you say you were a teacher? How can you afford a car like this!" she demanded an explanation. This sandal clad boy couldn't be rich.. Could he?

She climbed on the passenger seat while he turned the engine on, it roared beautifully, "This car was a gift from my dad, and no I'm not rich, but I get by"

She nodded, judging from the car, he was way better off than just getting by, but she dropped the subject, not because she didn't want to hear more about it, but because he had started driving…

Like a freaking maniac!

He was laughing all the way, top speed on the middle of a busy city, dodging busses, ignoring red lights, the climax was when he barely dodged a mother with a stroller,

"Man that was close, HAHAHAH!"

"You are fucking crazy!" she was grabbing the handle over the door for dear life and horror was written all over her face.

"Come on Nami this is fun!" he said laughing as he turned a corner in a 90 degree turn, tires screeching and skidding, while he skillfully managed to get the car balanced and in track again.  
>He stopped suddenly in front of a simple coffee shop, tires screeching and leaving track marks on their path.<p>

Nami sighed… noticing she was still alive, but still touching her body here and there to make sure, she knew there just HAD to be something off with Luffy, nobody could be so sweet, rich and SANE.

"You are nuts!" she shouted, boy was she mad. "That was the most stupid, rash, inconsiderate thing I have ever witnessed, you are so reckless, and you could have killed us or somebody else"

He climbed out of the car and walked towards her side, opening the passenger door "Come on Nami, it was fun", he smiled his innocent smile as she got off the car with shaky feet. She had to admit, he was a good driver and the car roared beautifully among the city streets, her heart was beating stronger than she could ever remember, and adrenaline fueled her body.

"Remind me not driving with you again" she muttered… but if she was honest with herself, it was an awesome ride after all…

He just laughed happily and motioned for her to enter the Central Perk coffee shop. It was a simple place, but homey, and she loved the atmosphere it gave right away.

There was a group of people in the middle, sitting in comfortable couches and sofas, and they waved at Luffy. So those were his friends.

"Hey guys! I found her!"

They gasped while looking at the red haired woman and several of them groaned while fishing for something on their pockets. The green haired man had a smart ass smirk on his face.

"Told you the idiot would manage to find her" he said. With annoyed faces, Usopp, Chopper and Sanji paid up some wads of berries to a smirking Zoro. Robin only managed to laugh behind her hand, she was the smart one as she didn't dare go against Luffy's will.

"So Nami, let me introduce my friends, that is Usopp, he is a geek and a liar…"

"Hey! I'm not a geek, I'm an engineer!" he protested… Nami noticed he didn't complain about being called a liar. Luffy and laughed and Nami followed swiftly, amused by their antics.

"The horny guy is Sanji, he is an awesome cheff, and he works at his old man's restaurant in the bay area… you know Baratie?" Luffy asked

"Isn't that the lovely ship-restaurant in the harbor area?" Nami asked, surprised.

"Ahh Nami-swan knows about us! I'm so happy!" Sanji crooned and Nami waved her hand, telling him it was not a big deal. Luffy ignored the blonde's ramblings and continued with the introductions

"Chopper is a med student, he is a genius!" Luffy said with a wide –prideful- smile.

"Shut up bastard, saying that doesn't make me happy!" the young one shouted, Luffy whispered into Nami's ear, "He can't take compliments though"

Nami just laughed at their antics.

"She is Robin and she likes old stuff" Luffy explained matter of factly. Robin could only laugh "Well to be exact I work at the museum of Natural History, I'm an archeologist"

"Oh that is awesome" Nami commented.

"Thanks" Robin smiled warmly.

"And he is Zoro, he has no sense of direction whatsoever" Luffy introduced.

"What kind of introduction is that!" Zoro shouted, annoyed with his dark haired friend. Everyone, including Nami started to laugh. And then Zoro proceeded to explain he was a kendo teacher and he even participated on international competitions and had several medals.

After introductions were given Nami was soon sitting next to the dark haired woman. The red haired girl felt an unfamiliar warmness inside, she didn't know why but she felt comfortable around this people right away. Sure the blonde man was dense and wouldn't stop drooling over her, but the long nose, the little guy with blue eyes, even the serious dark haired woman were welcoming, she didn't know what to make out of Zoro.

"So how did you all meet Luffy anyway?" Nami asked naturally, trying to start conversation. Everyone gasped and silent stares were shared, as if trying to decide whether to tell her or not, and then Zoro broke the awkward silence.

"Everyone of us meet him in rather complicated situations… but let me tell you something, once this bastard decides he is gonna be your friend, you have no choice in the matter, you are stuck with him" the green haired man said seriously. And everyone nodded profusely.

"Hahaha, I don't know why but I think I believe you!" Nami said smiling.

Coffee, tea and delicious pieces of tarts were served while the group of friends laughed, most of them telling embarrassing tales about Luffy so Nami could get a good laugh out of her new friend. She learned several interesting facts about her new friends, Usopp the long nosed guy was Luffy's classmate on high school, and apparently was the only reason Luffy was able to graduate at all. Nami was surprised because Luffy didn't seem embarrassed by that fact, instead laughing every time Usopp told her something about their complicated plans to cheat on their tests.

She was surprised to hear Zoro and Sanji were roommates and shared an apartment in the same building the coffee shop was.

–and no we are NOT gay-, Sanji had said,- I'm just stuck living with the marimo head-

Their apartment was six stories up, and Robin's own apartment was right across from their door. Apparently Chopper was living with the archeologist, but Nami wasn't offered any reason for that, and she didn't care either way.

Soon enough, her cell phone rang. She answered quickly, almost fumbling over the buttons and stood up, so she could talk far enough and her new friends wouldn't her.

Her face, her whole demeanor changed, her smile banished.

"I'm sorry guys, something came up in the office, I've gotta run" she said.

"Let me give you a ride" Luffy said with a wide smile. She cringed, her face horrified "No no no, I will take a cab there, don't worry Luffy!"

Everyone laughed, most of them thinking she didn't want to ride with such a reckless driver, as they knew very well how the black haired man handled his beautiful car –like a mad man-

"But Nami…" he protested…

She was already turning around "…it was nice meeting you guys, I hope I can see you again some other time!" she was waving goodbye when Sanji, Usopp and Chopper shouted.

"Luffy, her cell phone!"

The black haired guy punched his fist on his palm "Ohh yeah, Nami, wait! Gimme your cell number" he smiled widely. His friends groaned, could he be so dense?

Nami hesitated, her breath caught on her throat… then she sighed and pulled out a pen and a piece of paper from her purse

"Here, but don't call me, just text me and I will call you back, because sometimes I can't take calls over at work so… it's better this way, ok?" she said giving the piece of paper to Luffy. He nodded.

"Well then, see ya guys!"

And soon she was gone, everyone stood in silence for a while.

"Where did she say she worked at?" Usopp asked looking at Luffy, and the black haired boy just shrugged.

"Mmm she didn't tell me, she only mentioned an office"

Sanji looked thoughtful and took a deep whiff of smoke, letting it go slowly trough his nose "Y' know those clothes she was wearing… hardly an office attire" he commented almost grimly.

Robin nodded "…expensive too, I was drooling over her purse... overall I believe she had like a hundred thousand belly on her"

"So what" Luffy asked, almost annoyed.

"Nothing at all Luffy, but she is hiding something", Zoro answered

"…everyone has skeletons on their closets", someone said behind them, sure enough a tall, dark skinned, afro clad man stood behind them, a wooden guitar on his hands.

"Brook!" they shouted in unison.

"Yohohoho" he shouted his trademark laugh, "it seems you guys are worrying over something, let me make your hearts light"

He took a seat on a nearby chair and started to play his guitar.

A few blocks away from them, a red haired woman riding a cab glimpsed outside the window, a soft smile on her lips.

_-…such good people… I want to see them again… I know I shouldn't but… Luffy… text me soon-_  
>on her mind, the smiles shared and the faces of her new friends wouldn't go away.<p>

For the first time in a long time, she went to work with a soft, wide smile.

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><p>To be continued…<p>

Hey there! Did you like this chapter?  
>So many new questions<br>Any guesses?

I love reviews and comments!


	3. Chapter 3

Hello there!  
>Third chapter, and I must say that I love the reviews I'm getting, because I feel I'm in the right track with this fic, that is, making everyone wonder what is Nami really hiding.<br>I hope I'm doing a good job at keeping everyone in character, enjoy!

PS: I'm writing Opening Pandora's box chapter II, I promise I will update it soon

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<strong>  
><strong>Chapter III:<strong>

Nami groaned on her pillow, she hated weekends; those were the busiest days of the week for her, most people would be glad it was Saturday morning, she wasn't. She turned her face towards the big window on her room and groaned again as the sun light pierced her eyes. She had to work late the night before.

Her room had a minimalistic, modern feel to it, all white, white curtains, the only thing homey about it was a photo frame sitting on her night stand with an old, worn out picture of two girls and an older woman that didn't resemble each other.

She snatched her purse that was lying around on a corner and took a big wad of money out of it. She smiled; opening her closet and moving some long coats to the side she reached to the very back, then she opened a safe punching up the right combination, inside, it was full of wads of money, bills almost falling off from it. She pushed inside they money she had just pulled out her purse and closed the vault's door, smiling.

_"Just a little bit longer Nojiko"_ , Nami whispered.

The smell of breakfast filled her nostrils.

She stepped into the big living room area, beautiful wooden floors, big windows with beautiful views of the city and exquisite furniture. This apartment was a designer's dream.

"Hey Keimi, good morning" Nami smiled. Her roommate, a young woman her age with an unusual shade of short green hair stood with her back to her, preparing a simple breakfast consisting in pancakes.

"Nami-chin" the other woman smiled, using the nickname she reserved for her only friend. "I noticed you came home late so I decided to treat you with breakfast"

Nami took a seat in the island and smiled warmly to her friend, they didn't ask each other about work, it was an unspoken rule in that apartment. They would share only if they felt like it, but they would never ask.

For a moment Nami thought of telling Keimi about the new friends she's made… but then she decided it was better if she kept that information to herself… Keimi's safety was on the line too.

"Eleven already? I overslept a lot" Nami groaned looking over the clock in the kitchen.

While she was eating her breakfast the sound of a message beeped from the coffee table.

She literally ran to her cell phone and pushed some buttons quickly.

"HEY NAMI HUGE BBQ THIS AFTERNOON, ROBIN'S PLACE, WANNA COME, PLS SAY YES, LUFFY"

She smiled, she didn't know why but she wasn't surprised his way of writing was the same as his regular speech.

From her place in the kitchen Keimi shook her head, poor Nami-chin, having to tend to work so soon after a hard night. Nami stepped out on the balcony and leaned over the railing, a beautiful fifteen floor overview of the city below her. She returned the call, as she had promised the day before.

"Hey Luffy! I read your text… yes I would like to go… yes I remember Robin lives in the aparment complex of the caffee" she frowned… "No..not my place, lets meet over the park, same place where you parked yesterday ok?" she smiled some more "see ya there"

When Luffy hanged up, he had a wide smile over his face, a worn out straw hat over his head, shading his eyes from the harsh morning sun.

"Did she said yes?" Usopp asked,

"Yep! I have to go pick her up later" Luffy smiled proudly.

A couple of hours later Nami was climbing the last steps of an interminable leader of an classical six story building.

"God, I can't believe this place has no elevators!" she groaned.

"You get used to it," Luffy answered simply. They reached a door painted in a deep lilac shade and Luffy opened it like he owned the place.

"Hey guys! We are here!" Luffy announced.

Several people turned around and greeted Nami warmly, she had never, in her whole life felt that accepted, "Hey guys" she waved her hand almost shyly.

The apartment was old but beautiful, a huge open high ceiled area shared the living room, the dining and the open kitchen, two doors Nami suspected were rooms could be seen on the back and a big window almost the entire length of a wall stood behind the living room area.  
>Outside the window, you could see a big balcony patio, a barbecue was smoking already and Sanji was busy cooking for everybody.<p>

"This place is beautiful" Nami said in awe glimpsing around. It wasn't stylish and furniture wasn't expensive looking like her apartment, but there was a homey quality to it, picture frames here and there, small ornaments on the shelves, vases with fresh flowers and even a poor quality doodle pinned with fruit shaped magnets on the old fridge. This place looked like it was used to have parties, celebrate birthdays and having friends over.

"Thank you" Robin said smiling as she approached the new comers, "it seems everyone thinks so because they often find excuses to throw parties on my apartment" she said with a smile.

"Hahaha, that is not true Robin, you know we hang a lot at Luffy's too, but the weather was bad today for it" said Usopp, a small blonde long haired woman next to him.

"Hey Nami, I believe you haven't meet my fiancée" he pronounced the word fiancée with great gusto.

"I'm Kaya, nice to meet you"

Nami stared at Kaya's face for more seconds than she really intended, then when Usopp cleared his throat Nami laughed softly and said "Nice to meet you too, I'm Nami… but your face seems familiar somehow"

Kaya looked at the floor and blushed, and then Nami snapped "You are Kaya Kinsen, the famous heiress! What is a rich girl like you doing here?" Nami couldn't help the comment, since Kaya had been on the cover of several magazines a while back.

"Kaya's just a friend of us and Usopp's fia…fua, girl, that is what's important, right?" Luffy said grinning. Nami recovered from her impression and nodded, "Congratulations on your engagement then" she added.

The group was soon sitting on the sofas and everyone was having a good time when Nami noticed somebody missing "Where is Zoro?" she asked.

"Ahh Zoro is on watch duty!" Luffy said naturally while munching a big slice of pizza.

Everyone froze, eyes wide and open, some murdering glances in his direction too.

"huh?" Asked Nami confused by everyone's reactions.

"Hahaha, what Luffy meant it's that Zoro is watching over a sick relative" Usopp said.

"Really Usopp?" Luffy asked with a puzzled face. The long nose started to laugh nervously as he gave Luffy's back a violent slap making the dark haired man choke with his pizza slice.

"Luffy!, You shouldn't be talking while eating, we have told you that a million of times!" Usopp scolded.

"Whoa Luffy is choking, we need a doctor!" Everyone looked at Chopper with dead pan expressions and the young boy started to laugh "I've got him!" He said while going to Luffy.

Nami shrugged and forgot about the issue, as things around her were becoming crazier by the minute, but she was amused by the guys's antics. She even shared understanding smiles with Robin and Kaya.  
>A while after that the party got lively when Brook arrived, he started to play his guitar and sing, and soon the red headed woman even started clapping along, enjoying herself with a wide smile.<p>

She raised an eyebrow when Franky arrived, since it wasn't normal to watch a huge guy with an open Hawaiian shirt showing his bare chest and spandex shorts with sandals. He looked like he belonged into a tropical beach setting and not a city, but Nami noticed nobody freaked out about the blue haired man's attire, so she choose to shrug it off. When in Rome…

Nami was having a great time when her cell phone started ringing… she stood up and walked over a corner, where she started to talk and nod, her face frowning.

"Sorry guys, I have a business dinner later so I've gotta get home and change" she announced.

"But Nami! We were about to hook in the Karaoke and stuff!" Luffy pouted, it was inacceptable for somebody to leave the party that early "..And you didn't even ate any meat yet"

Why was the moron making it more difficult for her than it should really had been "I'm very sorry Luffy I have to go"

"But Nami" He said standing up, in the verge of getting angry.

"Look Luffy, some of us actually have to work for a living" she scowled at him and snatched her purse that was sitting on a coffee table over the corner and then she said goodbye to everyone, walking towards the door.

"Fine, let me give you a ride" Luffy offered getting his car keys out his pocket.

"Forget about it, you should stay and enjoy the party" they disappeared behind the door, and muffled shouts could be heard from the hallway.

"Why is Luffy so upset with her? It's not like she wants to leave, I could see that in her face" Chopper asked.

"Who knows" Usopp shrugged but in reality he was happy Luffy had that kind of reaction with Nami, it was the first time he saw his friend so interested on a girl, even if Luffy couldn't even tell he was, yet.

His mussing were interrupted when Luffy stepped back into the apartment, an uncharacteristic defeated look on his face "She didn't want me to go" he just said. Usopp sighed and walked towards his friend "Y' Know Luffy, Sanji says the meat is ready!"

"Really! GREAT! Thanks Usopp!" then Luffy ran towards the balcony patio to pester Sanji.

Usopp shook his head, it was so easy to lift Luffy's spirits it was ridiculous.

…

The next day, on Sunday, Luffy texted Nami

"HEY NAMI, WE ARE DOING SOMETHING COOL OVER THE HARBOR; IT'S A SURPRISE, WANNA COME?"

Nami never called Luffy back.

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><p>To be continued…<p>

Thanks for reading,

Drop me a note if you can! Thanks!


	4. Chapter 4

Hey Guys!  
>Wow! I'm astonished at the number of reviews I've got last chapter, <strong>thank you so much!<strong>

And I'm glad some of you picked up that there are other things in this plot besides Nami's mysterious behavior. Someone asked why Luffy was so upset about her leaving… well he is a very perceptive guy, he knows that for some reason she doesn't like to go to her work, so he wanted her to stay on the party and just have fun with them…. He also likes her a lot! But shhh he doesn't know yet! Ok? He is naive like that, so It's a secret :P

I Hope you like this chapter!

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<strong>  
>Chapter III<p>

Monday morning had come and Nami couldn't be more glad, she glimpsed herself over the mirror and sighed when she found a black spot on her forearm, she took skin colored makeup and applied some on the bruise to cover it up. Fortunately, things this weekend hadn't gone so bad, little bruises like this were nothing at all for her.

She checked her cell phone and saw Luffy's message from the day before for the tenth time, sighing softly… she couldn't answer him back yesterday and she felt bad about it… but she couldn't let Luffy know…

She sighed and took a deep breath, taking courage… she wanted to see them again, so she dialed his number.

xx

He was stretching lazily in the sun, the straw hat covering his head, moving slightly in the soft morning breeze when his cell phone ringed, when he read the caller ID – NAMI – his heart jumped.

"Yo Nami!" he said answering.

She was surprised he didn't pry too much, he just asked her if she was okay and commented it was too bad she couldn't come, maybe next week. She agreed to meet everyone over at Central Perk later that day.

Some days followed by and she was almost an official member of the tight group of friends, she even exchanged her number with Robin, so they could go shopping together, but she also requested the older woman the same thing she asked from Luffy, text me first, I'll call you back. Of course Robin thought it weird, but they had this unspoken rule inside their group, they wouldn't pry on anyone's past. Robin knew her past was dark enough, back when she first meet Luffy and the others she had had her share of secrets too.

Nami had also asked about Zoro's relative, and she frowned when the green haired man didn't seem to understand, until he suddenly remembered and told her that everything was fine now. Nami let it slide. That week she had so much fun with them! Playing poker and cleaning their pockets, laughing at Luffy's antics, enjoying Brook's music when he played at the coffee shop.

So Thursday came and Usopp had proposed they go to the movies, everyone agreed at first but 'casually' cancelled out at the very last moment, leaving Usopp and Kaya, Nami and Luffy the only ones going. But of course, someone had not understood Usopp's great master plan, and Chopper showed up too.

Usopp couldn't get mad at his younger friend for that, because he knew the young doctor student craved the attention after all, after such a difficult past it was understandable, besides Luffy didn't even notice this was supposed to be a double date anyway. If Nami noticed his plan, she didn't comment on it.

They had come to see the latest superhero movie, and Nami could swear the guys had stars on their eyes when some cool action scenes played on the big screen. "So cool!" They shouted

"Look, it's a beam!" Chopper and Luffy squealed in unison.

Nami and Kaya shared knowing smiles and just enjoyed the movie as much as they could. In Kaya's opinion, it would have been a lot better if they went instead to see the other big hit, about a girl that lost her memory but his boyfriend wouldn't give up on her, even if she was paralytic. In Nami's opinion, she couldn't care less about romantic flicks… those things didn't happen in real life anyway.

"WOOO! Look Nami Look!" Luffy said childishly tugging at her shirt.

When the movie finally ended they went towards the parking lot, were Usopp's super master plan phase two entered in action "So Luffy how about I give Chopper a ride while you take Nami home huh?" the long nose said with a big smile.

Nami's eyebrow twitched, it was nice that the long nose wanted to play matchmaker… and Luffy was a sweet boy…err man but … if only Usopp knew her.

"That is a great idea Usopp, let me take you home Nami, goodbye guys!"

Everyone said goodbye and the couple walked towards Luffy's beautiful Audi, "So how did you meet Usopp? You two are great friends" Nami asked making conversation.

Surprisingly Luffy was in the mood to answer "Our fathers are friends and work together, so when Usopp's mom died he started to hang out at our house a lot, since Yassop, Usopp's dad sometimes had to go with Shanks on their missio… their business trips"

"This Shanks guy you have mentioned? Who is he?"

Luffy smiled with pride and looked at her "My adoptive father" he said smiling.

"ohh I didn't knew you were adopted", she said casually, they were fast approaching Luffy's Audi, and already it could be seen at the end of the rows of cars on the parking lot, a lone lamp post flickering in an out and their steps echoing on the grey concrete.

"Yeah, Shanks adopted Ace and me when I was seven, we lived on the streets before that" he commented this like he was talking about the weather, but since Nami noticed his smile never faltered, she guessed he didn't suffer about his past. She liked that positive attitude.

When they were a few feet away from his car, Luffy's cell phone started beeping furiously, and he fumbled with his pocket, getting the device out quickly and snapping it open,

"shit, not again" he muttered, something blinked on his screen and he pushed some buttons, making the beeping stop. He took Nami's arm harshly and started to lead her away from the car as he walked and fumbled with his phone.

"Sorry Nami the car is broken, I'll get you a cab" he said while his eyes were fixed on the screen, he was browsing his directory.

"Huh? How can you know that?" she asked, an eyebrow raised, she also pulled her arm away from him, surprised at his behavior, had never been so harsh with her before. In fact his whole face had changed, for the first time since the short time she knew him, Luffy looked serious, and almost angry.

"I have an app for it, it gives me a warning if there's something wrong with the car" he explained while he dialed some number, he parted from her and turned around.

"Hey Franky, it happened again…. On the parking lot over the movies…. Yeah I know" Nami could barely make out the conversation, obviously Luffy didn't want her to hear. The dark haired man continued "ok, I'll wait… the bastards… yeah Nami's with me… ok ok, bye…"

"Sorry Nami, that was Franky, my personal mechanic, the guy you met at the party the other day?"

"Ah yes, the one who likes to dance weirdly and had expandex shorts?"

Luffy nodded and grinned "He is so cool, right?"

Nami wouldn't call Franky cool, but weird! And sort of a pervert, but Franky also seemed like a nice guy. "Well… I hope he can help you with the car"

They walked over the avenue in front of the movies and soon Nami was on her way home, her mind wondered about the little bit of information she had learned from Luffy that day… So he was adopted, had a brother and before that he lived on the streets, but he didn't seem bothered with his past. That stuff about his car was weird and Nami had to wonder for a second if he had just received a message from a lover or something and he just wanted to get rid of her making some lame excuse.

She started to giggle at that thought, yeah right, Luffy running off with a lover? "Hahaha" she started to laugh, she hadn't known him for long, but she was sure he wasn't like that. Over the rearview mirror the cab driver glanced at the woman on the back seat and sighed. _–Another weirdo_- he thought - _and such a shame since she is so pretty-_

He shrugged… as long as she pays

x-x-x

Nami didn't get a text from Luffy the next day but she also didn't need his invitation anymore to show up on the coffee shop, it already was becoming an habit of hers to drop by in the afternoons and hang out with the guys.

She stepped inside the welcoming place and noticed the couches and sofas in the middle were unusually empty, she went over the counter, were the owner, a middle aged grey haired man, welcomed her.

"Hey Nami, I'm glad you came, can I get you anything"

"Yeah a Coffee and a sandwich would be fine… hey Gunther, haven't you seen any of the guys yet?"

"No, none of them came by today, which is unusual huh? They hang around here so much that even the other customers don't sit around the sofa anymore haha"

"Yeah I know, well I will hang around for a while, maybe they will drop by later"

Nami took a seat on the couch and snatched a random magazine lying on the coffee table, trying to occupy her mind, soon Gunther served her order "If you feel lonely I could seat with you" he offered.

She didn't even glimpse at him, her face never leaving the magazine page, she just smiled softly "that is nice of you Gunther but I'm fine". The poor shop owner's heart was broken, crest fallen he went to sulk behind the counter.

An hour went by and no one dropped by, she took her cell phone and dialed Luffy's number…

"Voice mail?"

She shook her head and tried Robin's number next… voicemail again. "Weird" she thought. She finally went home, and that day, she didn't have any news of her friends. For a second, she considered going up to Robin's apartment, or knocking on Sanji and Zoro's door, but she didn't want to be seen as desperate either.

She finally went home with an empty feeling on her stomach.

"_I hope you are okay, Luffy", _Why was she even worried, was beyond her

* * *

><p>To be Continued…<p>

Ta da!  
>What do youuu think? HuH?<p>

Has no one noticed about the coffee shop I'm describing and its name yet? Gosh I'm feeling old! hahaha

I'm one chapter ahead so expect an update soon,

If you can, drop me a note! THANKS!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi there!

Thanks again for your wonderful support! It feels so nice when I got a mail with a review alert and I read your wonderful comments.

About the coffee shop, it's based on the sitcom FRIENDS, was called Central Perk too. I needed a place for them to hang out a lot and that came to mind –that and my boyfriend was watching a Friends re-run while I was writing the first chapter of this fic- hehe.

* * *

><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<br>**Chapter V  
><em>By Kaoru likes One pIece<em>

The next day Nami got a message "Hey Nami! The old guy at the coffee shop told me you were looking for us, sorry bout that! Something came up at work, anyway c ya later at the coffee place if ya wanna drop by!"

Nami sighed and smiled, so he was fine, she was so glad. –_Get a grip Nami, you don't know about the guy for a day and you freak out, you have your own problems to worry about- _she chided herself.

"Everything okay Nami-chin?" Keimi her roommate asked, the other woman was sitting on their couch looking at some news on the tv.

"Yeah, great… well.. not so great, I've got the special assignment on the weekend…" Nami sighed…

Keimi cringed and looked at the floor "Nami…. Again?"

"Don't worry, its good money anyway" the red head smiled and took a seat next to her friend, barely glimpsing at the news over the muted TV, an aerial take over an helicopter was playing a scene of a burned out warehouse somewhere on the city and big bold letters could be read. "WAREHOUSE BURNS DOWN IN UNCLEAR INCIDENT, MORE INFO COMING UP"

"You are taking the assignment very well" Keimi commented, when Nami didn't answer she added "and you seem happier lately, did something came up?"

"Well… you know the money I need? I'm getting so close to my goal, just a bit longer!" Nami smiled and Keimi nodded. "I'm glad Nami-chin"

-  
>.<p>

That afternoon, only Luffy, Sanji, Zoro and Robin were on the coffee shop when Nami arrived; she took a seat on the single couch.

"Where is everyone?" the red head asked while accepting her order and taking a sip of her coffee.

"Hell if I know, I'm not mother hen anyway" Zoro said a little pissed off.

"Hey Marimo you don't have to be so rude to Nami-swan!" Sanji stood up .

They started to snarl at each other when Nami noticed bandages wrapped on Sanji's right arm,

"Hey Sanji-kun what happened with your arm?"

"Ohh this, nothing at all, an accident on the Baratie yesterday, some shitty kitchen trainee dropped boiling water on my arm when he tripped on his own shitty feet, but I'm alright"

"I'm glad" Nami smiled

"Nami-swan is so cute when she is worried about me!" Sanji crooned.

Trying to change topics and ignore the love stricken cook the red headed woman looked towards Luffy "So did Franky fix your car?"

"huh? Oh yeah he did! Everything is fine now"

Nami nodded and then gasped when she remembered her assignment "OH I've got to take the chance to tell you guys, I have a business trip this weekend, so I will be out the city for some days, maybe I will return next Tuesday or so"

Luffy pouted "But Nami I wanted to invite you over my place this weekend" he said crestfallen. That sounded worse than it had to.

Robin laughed "Well… believe me Nami, Luffy's place is pretty mm –cool- as he would put it"

"Yeah Nami how come that we been friends for such a long time now and you never can come, that is so boring" he complained childishly. Such a long time was like three weeks, but Nami's heart warmed to that, they all treated her like she was a friend they've known for years.

"I'm sorry Luffy! Maybe next time after I return"

And so the weekend came, then Monday, and on Thursday, Luffy had texted  
>"HEY NAMI, ARE YOU BACK FROM YOUR TRIP YET? WE KINDA MISS YOU" - Of course Luffy with WE meant I... but even he didn't realiza that fact.<p>

She texted Luffy back "Work took longer than I thought, I think I'll be out of the city a couple of days longer… I miss you guys too"

On Wednesday, she felt well enough to go out and have a walk, she had been resting in her apartment for two days now, she felt restless, but she wasn't well enough to visit her friends yet. She didn't want them to see her like that.

She dressed with tight jeans, a beautiful deep purple blouse and covered it up with a long white jacket tailored with a stylish cut and big pearly colored buttons with a v-neck. Over her head she placed a silky and colorful handkerchief that she draped all around her neck. A tick layer of makeup to cover the various bruises on her face and big dark sunglasses the finishing touch, she looked like a movie star that doesn't want to be recognized by paparazzi.

She didn't want to go out, but Keimi wasn't home and she was hungry, she also wanted to buy some pain killers, her ribs had started to hurt again.

Zoro was walking down the street, black pants and boots, a leather jacket with a white shirt underneath and designer sunglasses, he looked like a badass and someone you didn't want to mess with. But what didn't match his attire was the puzzled face he currently wore and the way he was scratching his head. Zoro was lost again, but he wouldn't recognize it. Damn that stupid coffee shop kept changing places.

So he was more than happy to spot a familiar face a few feet away from him. -_Wasn't the woman supposed to be out of the city?-_

"Oi Nami!" He shouted. The red head froze… why…WHY! She wasn't even walking close of the coffee shop!

"Oi Woman, didn't you heard me?" Zoro approached her and froze when he noticed the busted lip and the unsuccessfully covered bruises all over her face. In Zoro's opinion, the woman was annoying and she always cleaned them up when they played poker, but she was his friend, and nobody did that to a friend of the Straw Hats. Luffy had to see this.

"Ohh Zoro! Sorry you startled me, hehehe" she said with a fake laugh, Zoro just frowned.

"The hell happened to you, woman"

"Nothing at all, I just fell from some stairs, you know us women and our ridiculous high heeled shoes huh" she said quickly, laughing and waving a hand, "I had to cut my business trip short, that's why I'm back" she lied, it was painfully obvious.

Zoro said nothing, grabbed her forearm and started to walk her on the direction he had left his bike –he just had parked it to ask directions- and climbed into it.

Nami's quick money nose noticed Zoro's ride was worth a fortune, and had to wonder where he got the money for that!

"Let go! You brute, you can't go around dragging me like a caveman" she protested.

He just frowned and ordered her, "Climb"

She was mad Zoro was treating her like that but somehow she couldn't refuse his order, she climbed behind him while he dialed a number with his cellphone. "Luffy we've got a situation… no, better at Central Perk, c ya there"

Zoro cleared his throat and with a slight grade of shame and discomfort told the woman "I need you too… mmm guide me to the coffee shop".

Nami groaned.

..

She didn't want to do this, didn't want all the questions, the pitiful glances, or the comforting words. She just wanted them to treat her like they always had, just their friend Nami and not the abused girl, she could handle the other issues she had on her private life like she always had.

She stepped into Central Perk, without removing her sunglasses or the scarf, hopefully, the dim light inside the coffee shop would cover up most of her bruises.

But the moment she stepped in, the moment she saw the expression on Luffy's face, her heart froze. He made her take a seat on the big sofa and he sat on the single seat one, facing her.

"Nami, what happened to you" Luffy asked, anger written all over his face.

"You guys, you are making a big deal out of this, I just fell from some stairs is all! It's all my fault" she laughed waving a hand. Now Luffy knew he was slow, in high school they even had sent him to special courses and all, and Makino had taken him to see some learning specialists too. He wasn't retarded, but he wasn't the brightest star out there, but in spite of that, he could tell very well when someone had been beaten. Sanji, Zoro, Robin, Chopper and Usopp stood in silence, waiting for Luffy to speak up.

"Nami" he said looking at her, he reached out and took out her sunglasses, despite all her makeup, her swollen eye was an horrible sight.

She looked away from him,

"Who did this to you, Nami" he asked calmly, but inside, his blood was boiling. She snapped angrily at him "NOBODY did! I just fell from some stupid stairs!"

Luffy knew, stairs didn't leave choke marks on your neck, he sighed and closed his eyes, his face facing the floor.

"Fine Nami, I'll believe you" he whispered.

"BUT LUFFY!" Sanji snapped, angry at the dark haired man, every one of them could tell that someone had done this to Nami, he wouldn't let that pass up.

"Sanji" Luffy's eyes were fixed on his friend and the cook retreated, he couldn't go against Luffy, not when his dark haired friend looked at him like that.

"Like I was saying Nami, I will believe you but… get this straight, if I heard someone hurts a friend of mine… I will kick their asses so hard that they would wish I killed them, you heard me Nami?" the strength of his words, the conviction they carried, his eyes fixed on hers. Nami believed in Luffy in that moment, she could only nod.

"Good… now, do you need Chopper to take a look at you?" he asked casually, the seriousness lifting from his face.

"Yeah Nami, let's go to the apartment to take a look at you" the young boy said with a smile. Nami looked at everyone's concerned faces and wanted to break down right there… if things were only about her, she would have told them everything right away! She couldn't, she had to think of Nojiko too, she had to think about THEIR safety too.

"I'm fine… I just need some painkillers is all"

"I'll will give you pain killers if you let me check you" Chopper bargained. Nami nodded.

"Let's go I'll accompany you two" Robin said. The trio left the coffee shop.

"Oi captain" Zoro said as soon as their friends left , "just order it and we will trace the bastards who did this"

Usopp and Sanji nodded.

Luffy just pinched his nose, thinking hard "We can't… Nami's hiding something she doesn't want us to know… I want her to trust us… If we go behind her back, I have a feeling she will be mad at us". Usually Luffy was all about games and fun, but he had the ability to glimpse into people's deep hidden emotions, the others understood that, and respected him for it.

"I wonder if she is a secret agent or something" Usopp said hopefully, they looked at each other and froze for several seconds.

"…"

Sanji took a deep whiff of smoke. "She could be married with some piece of shit man that abuses her and she doesn't want us to know… shit like that happens"

"No way Nami can't be married" Luffy snapped.

"Why not? She is very secretive and always runs off when her cell phone rings" Zoro said "For all we know she could be married with a rich old bastard"

Luffy cringed, the idea of Nami with some old guy made him sick.

"I know!" Usopp said punching a fist on his palm "She could be an art thief! You know all this art robberies going on in the news lately? Maybe she goes on secret missions like that… or a super Hero!"

They all waved their hands comically, groaning at the fact that Usopp always made up the most ridiculous tales and sometimes he jumped to ridiculous conclusions.

"Maybe she is just an abused secretary..." Sanji mused...

"Whatever it is, I want her to tell us on her own, okay guys?" Luffy said with a strong look on his face.

"It's your call, captain" Zoro sighed.

* * *

><p>To be Continued!<br>-

Ohh! I'm sorry I left you guys with more questions again!  
>I promise you will get answers soon, I believe just two or three chapters left to go.<p>

Thanks for reading again!  
>Drop me a note if you can -pretty please =) -<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Hello guys! I'm just a little bit disappointed by the lack of reviews on the last chapter, I guess last chapter was dull because it didn't reveal anything new, except Nami's beating…

Anyway, I worked very hard on this chapter and I hope it shows, I'm quite proud of this part, things start to move on now,

I hope you enjoy!

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<br>**Chapter 6  
><em>By Kaoru likes One Piece<em>

Nami couldn't believe Luffy kept his word, everyone had dismissed the event and treated her as if nothing had happened, even if her face still showed signs of the abuse she had suffered. She had found such good friends…

On Friday, she called Luffy with a big smile "Hey Luffy, guess what? I don't have to work this weekend since I've got a medical leave until next week… so I think I can finally go to your place like you've wanted" - Medical leave meant her boss deemed her umpressentable for her line of work.

When she heard the exited shout on the other side of the line, her heart warmed…

The next day Luffy picked her up at their reunion spot on the park and then drove them both like the maniac he was, laughing all the way and Nami enjoying every second of it –sometimes getting scared when he did something absurdly dangerous- but otherwise laughing along him, she had discovered she loved emotions too. She suddenly was able to smell the fresh scent of the sea, and turning around a corner –dragging and raising a cloud of dust- a private harbor could be seen full of beautiful yachts. She gasped in awe –still a little shaken by the ride-

"Luffy didn't you say you will show me your place?"

"Yep, I live here" He said with a big grin.

They climbed out the car and he guided her across the wooden planks, until she noticed her friends already making a barbecue on the deck of a beautiful middle sized ship with words painted in silver on the side.  
>"Going Merry" she read, a small logo also painted in silver with the form of a cute lamb head was drawn besides the ship's name.<p>

"You live on a yacht?" she gasped

"Yup! It was a gift" he answered while he helped her climb on. "_Some gifts you keep getting…"_ she mumbled as she climbed the ladder.

"Hey Nami! What do you think huh!" Usopp said with a wide smile. "Isn't living here cool or what!" he added. Nami just nodded, the ship was big enough to be comfortable for daily living, that much was for certain. It had 3 floors, upper deck was the cabin and had a space with a table and chairs, second floor had a balcony on the stern with a railing and inside a big room with flat screen tv, couches and a kitchen with a bar and wine cabinets, and the lower floor stood the living quarters and the bathroom. Usopp lived with Luffy, but since he was engaged with Kaya, he expend a lot of nights away from the yatch…

"So now we can set sail!" Luffy said happily, and quickly put on a straw hat that Nami had never seen before. Franky went to the helm and steered the ship with care, they were soon leaving the docks behind and sailing at a slow and comfortable pacing towards open sea.

Nami glimpsed over the horizon leaning on the railing with a wide and sincere smile.

"This is so awesome!" she gasped, full of genuine happiness and emotion. Something stirred inside Luffy when he saw her like that, so happy, he turned around with a hand holding the hat in place and looked towards the tall musician aboard.

"HEY BROOK! Play that song for us!" A happy melody soon started, drinks began to be served and plates of food being shared. Nami couldn't take her eyes out of the open blue sea.

"Have you sailed before?" Luffy asked standing next to her.

"A couple of times yes… but I wasn't enjoying myself, it was always because of work assignments" Her eyes always looked dull when she talked about work, so Luffy offered her his best smile

"You don't have to work right now Nami, come sit and play" he said talking her hand and dragging her with the rest of the guys. They took a seat on the deck's floor with a round low table on the middle, playing poker, drinking and having fun.

"Hahaha Luffy how can you lose so much" Ussopp laughed when yet again, his dark haired friend lost all his chips to Nami. The red head woman stuck her tongue out.

"The reason you don't lose as much it's because you are a shitty cheater" Sanji muttered with his cigarette on the mouth.

"am not" Usopp replied crossing his arms. Poor Kaya that was sitting beside him only shrugged and started to laugh, covering her mouth elegantly, everyone followed.

They had dropped anchor in the middle of nowhere so Franky didn't have to man the rudder and could enjoy himself with everyone else. They spent the afternoon like that, just being with each other, eating, drinking and having fun. When Sunset approached, the group decided to go back and by the time they reached the shore there was still like an hour of sun light left, everyone quickly excused themselves and Nami saw trough their attempt to leave her alone with Luffy.

While Luffy waved goodbye to Usopp and Kaya's retreating forms, she stood on the stern of the ship, glancing at the last lights of the day slowly fading away, she sighed in happiness when she felt another presence besides her.

"That's why I love living here so much"

"I bet you do" she said smiling

"Yeah but it's getting lonely with Usopp going away so much" he answered with a frown "And soon he will get married…"

"I guess it is" she said in sympathy. "So do you usually like to sail away? How far can this ship go?" she asked.

Luffy blushed and looked down, grabbing the railing, his knuckles turning white "I actually… can't sail this ship"

"Huh?" she asked.

"I… CANT DAMMIT!" he snapped and Nami started to laugh at his flushed face, he pouted and crossed his arms.

"Why Luffy"

"Because… I kept getting lost and the coast guard told me they wouldn't rescue me anymore" he said, obviously ashamed of the fact. "In fact Franky is the only one that can actually sail the Merry, Usopp is kinda good too but he is too afraid of breaking something… Merry was a gift from Kaya"  
>Because Nami knew Kaya was filthy rich, she didn't even ask why someone would give such an outrageously expensive gift to a friend.<p>

"But.. doesn't this ship has a GPS or something?"

Luffy nodded

"Then?" Nami asked, not getting it.

"The thing doesn't work, the dots keep changing places", he complained with a grumpy face.

"Huh? Come here" she said going to the ship's cabin, Luffy followed her.

She had never sailed a ship but she had seen several people do it, and she had a good sense of orientation since she was a kid.

"Do you want to have a small ride?" she asked, and Luffy nodded with a smile "Of course, but Nami…"

"Do you know how to steer it?" she asked, Luffy nodded, she asked for him to start the engine and the several monitors on the cockpit, the GPS screen blinked awake and Nami started to explain the image to her friend.

"See, this is us, and this is our current latitude and longitude, this is the coast" she explained, and Luffy deadpanned.

"Namiiii…." He whined "I don't get all the moving dots stuff.. that is why I keep getting lost" he looked so crestfallen that Nami just patted his cheek "Don't worry Luffy, I will handle that and you handle the rudder… but slowly, I don't want us crashing or something"

The smile on Luffy's face as they pulled off was so wide that Nami couldn't help to smile herself, they sailed just a few leagues away, as Nami didn't want them to get lost even with the GPS's aid. The lighthouse could no longer be seen when they decided to drop the anchor and watch the sunset.

They stood next to the railing and smiled watching the sun coming down the horizon, painting the sky with beautiful oranges and yellows and giving Nami's long shiny hair a glow of its own.

"Thanks Nami" Luffy whispered while looking at the sea below, a hand securing the straw hat on his hair.

"You don't have to thank me…" she whispered… "Why don't you take the hat off? The sun isn't strong anymore"

"Huh? How can you ask that!" He snapped almost angry, and then remembered Nami didn't knew when he noticed her confused glance "Oh that's right… you don't know about hat"

"What about it"

"Well… back when I was little… after Shanks adopted Ace and Me… he used to bring us to sea a lot, but I was angry he wouldn't bring me to his longs trips, Shanks told me it was because I was a kid, and he used to make fun that I didn't even couldn't swim…"

"so?"

"Then one day… I jumped from his boat, in the middle of the port to probe I was manly and I could swim… but.. I couldn't do it that well after all… and then there was this big ship coming at me and I couldn't get away…." He paused and Nami put a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to continue…

"…so then Shanks got to me just in time, he got me out the way… unfortunally his left arm was caught by the ship's propeller… and he lost it…"

Nami gasped, "That is awful" she commented, not getting what the hat had anything to do with that accident.

"So.. imagine how I felt… the guy who had just rescued us from the streets, lost an arm to protect me… and then he just laughed it off… told me it was a small price to pay"

"Luffy… he was right" Nami smiled.

He wouldn't look at her, instead clutching the railing tightly and glimpsing at the horizon, his eyes lost in remembrance

"and the hat?" Nami reminded.

"Shanks always wore the hat almost everywhere, it was some sort of heirloom, and he wouldn't let Ace or me touch it at all, it was precious to him… so after he lost his arm I felt so bad I couldn't even look at him on the face… one day, before he went away to one of his business trips I just took courage and told him someday I would become a great man like him, make him proud of me, and never regret adopting me… so he just smiled and put the hat on my head and told me I could keep it as long as I made him proud"

"He hasn't asked it back yet… hasn't he?" Nami smiled softly,

"Nop… he's not… but I don't know why! Hahaha! I screw up stuff so much"

Nami shook her head "Luffy… you are such a nice guy you don't even realize"

"Am I?" he said turning to her, "well… I guess that is up to you to decide" he said

"I think I know enough" she answered with a confident smile, the wind swaying her hair gently, their gazes locked and for a second they leaned into each other… until the hat decided it wanted to fly away and Nami had to jump to catch it, half her body going overboard and her stomach pressed on the railing, she didn't fall because Luffy caught her waist soon enough.

"Hahaha, sorry that happens a lot" Luffy said with a grin.

"That was close!" she said "You should get a string or something for it, so it can't fly away" she gave the hat back, but the moment was lost.

"Thanks Nami… this hat is my treasure.. I don't know what I would do if I lost it".

"We should head back, its night and I don't have that much experience sailing" Nami commented. Luffy nodded but kept staring at the horizon, the sun was gone, but some afterglow remained on the horizon.

"Hey Nami… would you like to come and sail some other day?"

"Of course I do" she answered "I love it so much…. But I never had the opportunity before"

Luffy smiled widely "I love the sea too… it feels like an adventure… I guess if times where other I'd be a pirate or something Shihihihihi"

"Hahaha, that would be fun he? Sailing away the oceans without a care in the world, exploring the world… unfortunately those times are past, people doesn't have that kind of romantic ideals anymore" Nami said with a sad face.

Luffy turned around and looked at her like she's grown another head "What are you talking about Nami! Are you an idiot? Of course people has dreams, we could set sail together if you want and explore the world and stuff"

Nami laughed and waved her hand "If only it was so easy Luffy, I have a lot of problems y' know, I just can't sail away and do whatever I want… and neither can you for what it seems, since if it was so easy you would have done so already ne?"

Luffy frowned at her, "But Nami… its true I have other stuff I gotta do at work and I can't cuz Shanks is trusting me to… doesn't matter but someday we could"

"Now that would be wonderful, but let's head back.. It's getting a little too dark for comfort" and she turned around walking back to the cockpit.. Expecting him to follow.

They didn't say much on the way to the docks, and it wasn't really needed, they managed to dock safely and Luffy was proud he didn't actually break anything or crashed, he was busy tying a rope to the dock to secure the ship in place, while Nami glimpsed at him.

He was currently wearing a simple pair of jeans cut down to his ankles, his sandals and a red vest unbuttoned, leaving his chiseled chest at full view, on first impression, he didn't look that strong, but as Nami saw him tying and working she could see the way his muscles flexed beautifully.

When Luffy was done with his work he turned around and gasped when his neck was surrounded by a pair of arms and his lips captured by a soft warm mouth. It took some seconds to his brain to register Nami was kissing him, his eyes widened in shock but he soon relaxed, closing his eyes and surrounding Nami with his own arms.

Inside her mind Nami scolded herself…

_-Nami you idiot… you can't do this… you can't fall in love with him… if he knows the truth about you he won't want to be with you anymore… and that would hurt more than anything….-_

She hummed into the kiss as their lips parted and their tongues probed each other softly, it was the sweetest kiss Nami could remember in her life… and Luffy's arms, surrounding her, holding her but not moving or trying to grab her or something…

They parted reluctantly "Luffy I…" she stuttered, but he only looked at her with half lidded eyes  
>"Shh" he didn't want her to feel bad about the kiss.<p>

"Nami, there's something I need to tell you" he began, and Nami panicked… she didn't want to hear it, whatever it was, if he asked, -can you be my girlfriend-, or if he said –I like you and I want to go out with you- or something along those lines, she couldn't do it, she couldn't really commit with him that way.

Nami didn't knew he wanted to come clean with her and tell her the truth about the Straw Hat team, he wanted to let her know they could protect her, whatever it was that was troubling her, besides he hated keeping secrets from his friends, he wasn't any good at it.

"Shh, don't spoil the moment" she whispered putting her index finger on his lips, and then she proceeded to kiss him again, and this time, the kiss was less awkward, more deep, and his brain turned to puddle when she traced her nails on his scalp below the hat, forgetting everything but the feeling of her on his arms.

She dragged him inside the ship, where they stumbled on the couch on the main room with Nami on top of him, still kissing him furiously, letting her mouth trail little kisses along his jaw, all the way to his neck and stopping briefly on his chest.  
>He stood there, helpless, too overwhelmed by sensation to complain, move or speak.<p>

Nami had just experienced the best day of her life, almost feeling free for a second, and all that was thanks to Luffy, she wanted to express her gratitude, she wanted to give back some of the wonderful feelings she's had that day, if at least she could make him feel good that was enough for her, so she let her mouth travel downwards, all the way to his navel, sometimes kissing, others nibbling his skin.

His eyes widened when her mouth reached the border of his pants, and her fingers started to fumble with his zipper "What? Wait Nami what are you doing" he stood up sitting on the couch while she remained kneeled on the floor, with her head so close to his body it made him shudder. She looked up with half lidded eyes, "What do you think" she asked huskily.

He swallowed a lump on his throat and blushed furiously; putting his hands on her shoulders and making her stand up.

"Nami I…" he began, not knowing how to continue,

"What… you don't want to?" She asked unashamedly

"Its… not that… of course I want you but… I…. arghh" he couldn't find the words he desired to express, Nami cocked her head to the side, thinking he was just shy.

"Don't be shy…" she started to fumble with his zipper again "I wanna do something to repay you for today" she whispered.

"What!" that made him snap away from her, jumping back, and Nami stood there with her mouth agape, no man had rejected her, ever. "Why would you want to do that Nami" – he couldn't grasp why would she EVER felt she needed to do that to repay anything to him.

By the way he was kissing her seconds before Nami knew he desired her, then why didn't he want to…

"I… I just want to make you feel good" she whispered, a little ashamed that she was being refused. Luffy kneeled besides her and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear "Nami… when I am with you I always feel great…"

She hugged him like her life depended on it and he smiled back.

"Then you don't want us to…" she began, and he could only laugh stupidly "hehe…well I of course I'm a guy but… not today… not this soon okay?" his face was all red.

She nodded and cuddled in his arms enjoying the feeling of being with somebody that just wanted to be with her, with Nami, to enjoy her company more than her body. Soon Luffy asked her if she would like to expend the night on the ship –no strings attached- so they could sail on the morning. She complied with happiness, and they decided to have dinner, reheating the food Sanji had left on the fridge and adding a good red wine Nami found on a cabinet.

They ended up cuddled up on the sofa watching a random DVD –action- movie, and Luffy was glad Nami wasn't a sappy girl that just wanted to watch a romantic flick, at the end, Nami had to almost drag him towards his bed, since the poor guy couldn't hold his liquor, falling asleep half way thought the movie.

She got entranced by the task of stroking his hair while the moonlight going thought the porthole window gave his face a soft glow, a soft smile on his lips while he snored loudly.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her cell phone started to buzz, even if it was on silent mode she could still hear the vibrations from inside her purse. She picked it up and almost ran towards deck, when she answered.

Whatever they were saying on the other side of the line, made her eyes froze and tears start to run down her face, she shook her head in disbelief, untimely falling on her knees when the things she was hearing got to be too much for her to handle, she bent over on the floor and wiped like she never had in a long long time…. The happiest day she could remember just turned to the worse…

Luffy woke up when the sun rays were so strong they were annoying, even if he tried to cover his face with a pillow, in the end he stood up, with his brain still half sleep it took a moment to realize he was alone.

"mm Nami?" he called when he noticed she wasn't around, he stood up groggily thinking she must be on the bathroom or in the kitchen…  
>But then his head turned around the room and he noticed that the simple canvas of an old pirate ship was not hanging on the wall as it should be, it was on the floor…and on the wall… his safe was open and totally empty.<p>

"Damn"

Still thinking something could have happened to Nami he got up and ran to deck, it was totally empty. He cursed some more and went to find his car keys… gone.  
>Worried –still not angry- he searched for his cell phone, only to find it without its battery.<p>

He jumped on the docks and ran all the way towards the parking lot, his hat on his head, he wasn't that surprised when he found no trace of his beautiful red Audi.

"NAAAAAMIIIIIIIII" he shouted in distress… he knew, whatever was wrong with her… she didn't intend to come back this time.

….

* * *

><p>To be Continued...<p>

I'm quite proud of this chapter, so happy all way thought until the shocking ending, bwahahaha *insert evil laugh*

But there was LuNa here at least huh?  
>Next chapter, truths start to be revealed<p>

Tell me what you think!


	7. Chapter 7

Hello Guys!  
>Thanks so much for the warm reviews and comments on the last chapter! I love it so much! It was the most popular chapter yet! I'm so happy, I love to hear your comments, your questions and your praises! Somebody even called this fic a masterpiece? I doubt it is, but thanks for the comment, I'm flattered!<p>

This part is longer because it covers several aspects, I hope you enjoy!

* * *

><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<br>**Chapter 7

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><p>Luffy ran until his legs hurt and even longer after that, he couldn't stop now, he couldn't think of anything but finding Nami and seeing that she was alright…<p>

_-Something must be up, Nami would never, ever betray us- _ his mind insisted over and over again.

The closest destination he could think of was the Red Force Casino, his dad's workplace, there he would be able to fix his phone, get a new car and call his team. Whoever was making Nami suffer would pay dearly.

He turned around a corner and finally could glimpse the casino's logo, a big horned minimalistic dragon stood on the entrance, security guards nodded at him as he walked inside the building.

He stepped into an AUTORIZED PERSONAL ONLY entrance at the far back beyond the sloths machines and the black jack tables, beautiful waitresses winked at him as he went by –trying and failing as always- to get the attention of the owner's son, beyond the door, Luffy was greeted by one of his dad's new guys.

"Hey Rockstar, is Shanks here today?" he asked the red headed guy.

"Oh master Luffy, wearing the hat today? I bet there's serious business then…Shanks is here already, but he is having a meeting right now"

Luffy nodded relieved, and followed a series of hallways that required finger scans and security codes, finally he stepped into a big round lobby, with a vaulted ceiling.

A tick blue carpet covered the whole ground and a big circular logo read "CP9" with a golden circle around the letters, inside the circle a phrase could be read in bold roman style letters _"There's no better justice than our own"_

In the back of the room, behind a counter with a receptionist stood a big oil panting that covered almost all the surface of the wall on the back, a portrait of an imposing man wearing a mustache smirked eternally to those visiting this area, below the picture a plaque with a gold inscription could be read.

"**GOL D. ROGER** _Founder and best Agent on the history of the CP9 agency_"

Kaliffa the receptionist nodded at him while he took the hallway to the right, going first into Franky's workshop.

"Hey Franky" he said as the automatic doors let him in, inside, several monitors, robotic arms and all kind of devices stood sprawled almost in every table, there were several blackboards on the walls, and all of them had rough designs of weapons and machines.

"Oh Straw Hat, coming to check the new stuff?" Franky said moving his shades up.

"No Franky, I need you to fix my phone" Luffy said pulling the gadget out his pocket.

"Dropped it again huh? Look Straw Hat I told you to stop trashing my stuff" Franky said taking the phone from his hand.

"Nono Its just the battery… it got lost"

Franky frowned and reached into a drawer were several pieces of gadgets floated around, he fished for something finally pulling out the correct battery and plugging it into the phone.

"Done…" Franky took a moment to check Luffy's appearance, the younger man was sweating and he was wearing his straw hat, "Shouldn't you be with the cute sis?"

"Nami's in trouble that's why I'm here" Luffy said already starting his phone and browsing the directory, he called Robin first.

"Hey Robin, I need you to trace Nami, asap" he nodded on the phone and hung up. The dark haired woman was his team's research specialist; she would have Nami's full data, place of birth, workplace, bank account, the works, in no time.

"Hey Franky I need another car… mine got kind of lost" he said casually.

"WHAT! My poor poor baby, how could you lose it! You half brained moron!" Franky scolded, while Luffy started to laugh, always amused by the other man's reactions.

Franky got to the nearest computer and started to type and browse, a satelital view of the city appeared and a blinking red dot started to flash on the screen.

"There, the car is on the park, it's not moving and its unharmed… thanks Oda for that"

While Franky was busy with that Luffy had already texted his team, the message ordered they would have to meet in half an hour.

He stepped out the room and walked down a hallway, going to the briefing room to wait for his team, if only he knew where the hell Nami was he would have been there already, even if he had to go alone. A woman turned around a corner and he clenched his teeth, not her!

Fellow CP9 agent, and captain of the Kuja Team, "Boa Hancock" his ex girlfriend.

"LUFFY!" she said happily, her red tight business like attire didn't leave much for imagination, not with the V neck cut down so low her enormous chest almost fell off from it.

"mmm hi Hanckock" he said awkwardly.

"Ohh did you came to see me?" She said as diluted as she usually was around him. Hancock was a man hating woman, unless that man was Luffy, she had managed to persuade him to be her boyfriend a few years back –persuaded as a lot of boob work on the face- lots of stalking and finally getting him drunk on a party and dragging him inside a dark room, where he woke up naked and drowsy with her equally naked body next to him.

She insisted they were a couple now, and that he should accept that fact if he was man enough, and Luffy was somebody that didn't take anyone insulting his manliness…so he agreed to go out with her and try to be a couple, besides, the woman had gotten him out of a lot of pretty dangerous and potentially deadly situations before, she deserved at least the chance.

At first she was nice enough, and the sex part he couldn't deny was good, but then she started to act like a control freak, told him to ditch his friends and fellow team members, and become a double agent team with her only. She got jealous for no reason and the thing that made Luffy snap was her almost assassination attempt against his newest team member, Robin, just because Hankcok didn't tolerate he had a female team member that wasn't her. He just couldn't accept that behavior against someone on his team.

He broke up with her.

"Luffy?" she asked with her cheeks flushed.

"Not now Hankcock I'm busy" he walked past her, totally dismissing the beautiful woman. She just stared at his back with a dreamy look "I know you still love me! And someday we will get married" she shouted to his back.

"I won't marry you!" his voice echoed down the hallway, he didn't even turn back.

"_Ahh… I love it when he is so cold with me"_ she whispered, resuming her walk down the hallway.

…

Luffy was frowning, why did he had to bump into her of all people… what could be worse! And then he knew when he heard a shout.

"Ohh Luffy my boy" the dark haired man cringed and turned around slowly, finding the smirking face of his step father.

"he he he" he laughed nervously "Shanks, didn't knew you were around today" The red haired man stood tall wearing an exquisite white dress shirt with the first three buttons left unfastened and untucked outside his black trousers that ended just below his knees… an style his adoptive son often copied with his own personal touch. A long black coat hanged lazily from Shanks's shoulders, covering the fact that his left arm was missing.

"Come to my office" Shanks called, now serious, turning around and going back to his private office.

Luffy gulped and followed, almost dragging his feet, he stepped into the room slowly and closed the door behind him, the office was ample, it had an oak desk and behind it the red haired man took a seat on an elegant leather business chair. On several shelves there were a lot of portraits of his family at various ages, and he showed no shame in bothering superiors, fellow agents and underlings alike with the pictures, bragging about his boys and his wife, making everyone groan –they had already heard like a million of times about that one time when Luffy… and then that time when Ace….-

Shanks glanced at him for a long time with a stern face.

"What is it", Luffy said crossing his arms

"I heard you are using the agency's resources to trace a woman, a woman that has nothing to do with our business", apparently Shanks was looking at a file on his desk.

"Well hum… but…" Luffy stuttered.

He kept his hard serious look fixed on Luffy until he couldn't hold it any longer and started to laugh, standing up and walking towards his son.

"HAHAHA, ABOUT DAMN TIME! My boy its turning to a man" he said wiping a false tear from his eye and reaching across the table to pat Luffy on the back.

"HEY!" the raven haired agent complained.

"And she is a beauty too" Shanks said while glimpsing at a picture of Nami.

"Hey!" Luffy protested again, causing Shanks to crack up loudly yet again.

Then the red haired man turned serious and sighed, sitting back on his big, elegant leather chair.

"Are you trying to recruit her too?"

"Yes… I meant to ask her yesterday but I never had the chance"

Shanks groaned and his right hand got to his forehead "Luffy you just can't go around picking random people to join your team, the other team leaders are pestering me about it"

"But Shanks! Our team is one of the best!" Luffy complained.

"I know! That's why you keep getting away with it, but understand this, we have an excellent academy and the other team captains have to pick up their members from the new recruits, the only captain that has been recruiting random people is you"

"They are not random people, they are skilled team members that I approve off!" Luffy shouted defending his friends. Shanks smirked proudly.

"I know, and that's the reason I let you get away with it, the fact that they named you a supernova two years ago stopped all the rumors about you getting your way because you are my son"

Shanks sighed again and couldn't help still seeing the seven year old Luffy when he glimpsed at the boy in front of him, he had the file of each member handpicked from Luffy's team. Aka Straw Hat team.

Roronoa Zoro: the very first team member, back when Luffy was just a rookie agent and was pestering Shanks to let him be a task team captain, Shanks told his adoptive son he could become a captain if only he could find a new valuable recruit on his own.  
>And there he went one week later, out of sheer luck –if you can call it that- Luffy ended up on prison one night after wrecking yet another of his sports car on the account of reckless driving, so Shanks left the boy to expend the night on the holding cell in hopes he would be more careful next time. There on the police station he met Zoro, the guy was handcuffed and a lot of thuggish looking men that were on the cell along with them were pestering the green haired men.<p>

Luffy just grinned when he saw the other man trash the tugs even when restrained, afterwards Zoro just went to nap again, only to open an eye and ask Luffy what was the hell was so funny.

"You are strong" Luffy had said

"Yeah so?"

"I like you Shihihihi, but I don't know if you are a good guy yet"

"Why the hell would you care huh" Zoro had snapped back to the bothersome raven haired boy sitting casually against the wall. "So why are you even here huh?" Luffy had asked.

"I mmm… well you see…" Zoro began and then snapped "Its none of your business"

After several hours of incesable pestering Luffy had learned that Zoro had inherited his father's dojo and he was a kendo master, he had even developed his own style and told Luffy sometimes he wished he was born in a different era, so he could really test his strength as swordsman. Luffy smirked to that.

The night was soon over, and in the morning, the dark haired boy was released – not even a bail was necessary, just a call from the higher ups and Luffy was free-.

While he was gathering his cell phone and other personal belongings he overheard a conversation between two low rank police officers, for what Luffy could make out of it, Zoro was on the holding cell because he had punched captain Morgan on the face in a restaurant two weeks before defending a little girl about to be brutally slapped after she had accidentally spilled some juice on Morgain's expensive designer suit, so far he hadn't gotten a lawyer or even the right to a call..

So Zoro was a good guy, Luffy smirked. He turned around and demanded more information, only to be laughed off in the face by the two police man.

"CP9, Codename Straw Hat" he whispered darkly. The two officers almost pissed their pants and started to mumble apologies, why was a CP9 member doing on a holding cell in the first place!

"So tell me about Zoro will ya guys!" he said his face changing completely, a wide smile appeared as he draped his arms around the scared cop's shoulders.

He learned Morgan intended to implicate Zoro in an assassination by planting false evidence, and intended to send the green haired man to trial, in hopes he got the death penalty or at least a life sentence, all because Zoro had broke his jaw with the strong blow he planted while defending a child.

Luffy walked towards the cell and grinned at Zoro from outside the bars "Hey Zoro, I kinda have a proposal for you"

"Piss off" the green haired man answered.

"I can get you out of here, only hear me off" Luffy insisted.

Zoro stood up and approached the other man outside his cell, it was obvious their conversation wasn't meant to be overheard by the other prisoners, "I'm only hearing you out because I have not been able to get a hold of a lawyer not even make a lousy call.."

"Well I'm a special government agent, undercover agency that isn't even supposed to exist, so don't tell anybody" Luffy said making the universal sign of "Shh" with his finger.

"You just blurted it out!" Zoro snapped outraged.

"Hahahaha, that's different, you see, you are joining my team"

"Which team"

"I'm captain of the Strawhat team of course…besides if you join, you would be able to really test your swordsmanship skills on real battles" Luffy smirked

That got Zoro's interest, "What makes you so certain I will join?" Zoro asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because I said so Shihihihi"

"You are annoying go away"

"No can do, Morgan is gonna incriminate you in some murder to get back for what you did to him, you could even get death penalty"

Zoro scratched his head in exasperation "He couldn't be that corrupt… could he"  
>Luffy nodded.<p>

Heavy footsteps echoed down the hall and a tall and imposing short haired blond man with metal prosthesis on his square chin approached, with the two cops Luffy had scared down earlier close on his toes.

"So you are the bastard that thinks he can come down to my station and do whatever he wants?" Morgan snarled.

"I'm Luffy" he said with a wide smile, causing the other man to become even more pissed.

"Look kidd, I don't care who you are, you are not gonna take away my special prisoner, I have plans for him" Morgan smirked and Zoro understood in that moment, Luffy was saying the truth.

"Watch me…oi you" the dark haired boy said pointing towards a guard "Open that cell and get Zoro out" the guard gulped but he knew better than to go against a CP9 agent… he fumbled with the keys and quickly got the green haired man out.

This outraged Morgan, that couldn't believe he was so easily outranked by a mere brat, he approached his man and punched him so hard he sent him flying to the nearest wall, breaking the poor guy's nose and making him loose consciousness.

"You two piss me up so much, look kid I don't care what agency you say you are but you are dead"

His underling had the courage to whisper the name "CP9" close to him, and Morgan's eyes widened.

"CODE NAME!" he shouted towards Luffy, and said boy just smirked "Straw Hat"

"Never heard of you. Men, shoot their asses!" The police guards took their pieces out but their hands shook while trying to aim between Zoro and Luffy, obviously distressed and not knowing whose orders to follow. CP9 could make you disappear without a trace; Morgan could also kill you for no reason at all without batting an eye.

"Look I don't care if you are of that agency, I have some friends in the higher ups in the government too, I can do whatever I want" Morgan boasted and charged towards Luffy.

Luffy and Zoro looked at each other briefly, coming to an unspoken understanding, Luffy charged towards Morgan and Zoro went to get the guards, they fired, but Zoro was quicker and disarmed them both, and at the very same time, Luffy kicked Morgan on the face so hard, the bigger man's brain rattled.

Luffy and Zoro stood back to back and grinned, the older man turning around "So…what is next… captain?"

That was more than four years ago, and since then the Straw Hat team had gained fame and respect among the CP9 organization, Luffy had recruited his other team members in similar fashion. Usopp had been his childhood friend but the long nosed man always insisted he was too weak to join the CP9, which was until a two faced criminal tried to take Kaya's life in a carefully designed plan, after he saw how proud Kaya was of him, Usopp couldn't help but to join, the fact that his dad was an agent too and he admired Yasopp also helped a great deal.

Each member had their unique back story, but each had something in common, they had Luffy to thank for taking them out of dark and difficult moments on their lives, so they joined gratefully working hard on behalf on their team and at the same time following their passions and dreams, and of course, enjoying the spoils of their work. You see, CP9 was an underground agency, but the founding didn't came from the government itself, but from the loot the teams took from criminal organizations, once they tore apart a mafia group, or a drug cartel, they could loot and feast on all their assets, giving a sixty percent share to the adequate government higher ups and enjoying the forty percent left. Luffy's car was a token from one of his most recent missions.

That's why CP9 agency's motto was "_There's no better justice than our own_" and for them, that held true.

Shanks knew what set Luffy's team apart from the rest, the complete trust and dedication between its members, because the special circumstances they each had joined, there was a strong bond of trust between the captain and the team members, a bond no captain could hope to achieve by simply recruiting academy rookies.

Shanks sighed and while looking at the files espreaded on his desk

"Shanks! Where you spying on us again?" Luffy said pouting and crossing his arms.

"Well I hehehe" the red haired man laughed feeling caugh "I worry for my boy"

Luffy groaned, hating that his father and superior always butted in his cases somehow.

"Shanks, you know the reason Ace changed to the other division with old man Whitebeard was because he got tired of you spying on his assignments" Luffy said.

"I know I know" Shanks approached Luffy and put his hand on the younger man's shoulder "But you wouldn't do that to your old man would you?"

Luffy groaned,

"..I've gotta worry Luffy, take for example the car bomb incident the other day, what would I do if…"

"I handled that just fine Shanks! You know Franky has the car secured for those situations, besides, we took care of those guys the next day, they just wanted revenge for what we did to them before… don't you trust me or what"

Shanks sighed "I DO trust you… but cut me some slack; I'm a silly old man hahaha"

Luffy groaned, "Alright alright… tell Makino I said hi", the younger man said starting to walk out the office.

"Yeah I will, but you will have to bring us that nice young lady home soon you hear!"

Luffy started to run out the office but before the door closed behind him, he managed to hear some fateful words, "We want those grandchildren y' know, we are not getting any younger!" *click* the door closed and Luffy sighed totally embarrassed. Shanks was what, in his middle forties or so now, too young to be whining about grandkids yet… Luffy knew half the things his adoptive father said were to annoy and embarrass him.

He finally started walking towards the briefing room, and once inside all his team was there ready for the upcoming assignment.

Robin had her laptop plugged to a projector and started to speak

"I have the report on Nami captain, should I begin?" Robin said with a serious face.

"I just want to find her and have her explain why she ran away"

"She ran away?" several team members gasped

"Must be your shitty personality" Sanji muttered with a tinge of jealously on his voice.

"I'm certain I found the reason behind her odd behavior in the last weeks since we know her… and its not pretty, as for what changed for her to run away? I think that's something she needs to inform us herself" Robin said, her black tight dress and boots making her look classy,sexy and dangerous.

"How bad is it" Zoro asked

"She is one of Arlongs's girls" Robin said with finality, everyone gasped, Sanji closed his eyes and hunched over on his seat, Zoro cursed under his breath, Chopper covered his mouth with a hand and Usopp looked in disbelief.

"I can't believe it… "he whispered.

"Huh? Guys, who is this Arlong guy"

"WHO is he? He is a bastard that traffics humans! He brings girls from other countries and sells them, sometimes he keeps them to make them work on his own business… of all the horrible things I thought Nami-san could be hiding.." Sanji explained.

"As Sanji-kun explained, that is quite correct, on Nami's case she was brought to this city by force six years ago from the northern country of Konomi, she used to live in a small farm village called Kokogashi"

"Robin, I don't care about any of that stuff, just tell me where Nami is" Luffy ordered exasperated.

She took her cell phone and pushed a couple of buttons, and soon Luffy's own device responded in kind "Done, you have her exact address, she is at her apartment right now"

"Good, you guys check this Arlong dude" Luffy ordered while running out the room.

"Wait Luffy!" Usopp gasped.

"Let him be… Oi Robin-chan, tell us the rest of the story" Sanji commented, preparing himself for the horrible truth by taking a big gulp of smoke.

Luffy took a car from this father's collection don't even bothering about make and model as long as the vehicle took him to Nami as soon as possible. He drove furiously to her place, finally stopping in front of a fancy looking building. He climbed out the car, leaving it in the door, ignoring the doorman as the old man protested informing him he couldn't just leave a car parked there.

The elevator took a second too long to arrive, so he climbed the stairs in a furious run, six floors up until he reached her hallway, he ran past the apartment doors that had golden numbers signaling the proper number,

…601..602…there, on the end, a half opened door…. It had to be her apartment, screams came from inside.

"ARLONG! ARLONG! MAYBE IF I DO THIS YOU WONT HAVE ANY MORE USE OF ME!"

He rushed and pushed the door open, and gasped when he saw Nami doubled over on the floor in the middle of the living room, she held a knife on her hand and was directing it towards her lower abdomen, a crazed look on her eyes, hand shaking and some blood already soaking her blouse.

She was trying to stab herself.

Her last attempt was halted by his hand grabbing her wrist.

He said nothing, but glanced at her with eyes that held a mixture of sadness and anger. Sadness to see her broken like that, anger to whomever provoked her that state in the first place.

She rose her head slightly, eyes full of tears, she was biting her trembling lower lip, as if trying to hold her sorrow, her watery eyes found his and she could only whisper.

_"Luffy… "_ her voice trembling in anguish_ "…help me" _

That was all the words he needed to hear, she didn't need to explain why she took the car, why she stole the money, none of that mattered as he pushed his hat on her head and taking a deep breath he shouted his answer.

**"YOU ARE DAMN RIGHT I WILL!"**

.

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><p>To be Continued…<p>

What do you think? I'm quite proud of this chapter too!  
>I have all the alternative back stories for the crew on my mind but I didn't want to bore you guys with them, surely, you could also think fitting modern setting back stories for each of the straw hats. I wrote Zoro's because I dig Luffy x Zoro NAKAMASHIP.<p>

I also love the idea of Shanks still teasing Luffy like when he was a kid but with other more adult themes and situations.

If you can drop me a note! Thanks!


	8. Chapter 8

Hello everyone!

Last chapter was so popular! Many thanks again for your wonderful reviews!

Praising me so much doesn't make me happy you morons! (takes compliments Chopper's way) XD

Anyway, I made a fanart about this fic -what a looser making fanart about her own fanfiction!-  
>if you want to see it its at devianart http":"" fav "."me"/"d49h6zl just remove the " or enter my profile for the actual link :)  
>In my author's eye they look way cooler and a little more badass than on my actual fanwork.. but hey, I tried :P<p>

On with the chapter!

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><p><em><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<strong>_  
>Chapter 8<br>By Kaoru likes one piece

Luffy ran down the stairs, sometimes jumping two or three steps at the same time, his heart racing, he soon climbed into his borrowed car, started it, got it into the first shift… and groaned… were was this Arlong guy anyway?

His cellphone buzzed and he read the message, trust Robin to be ahead of things, the information about Arlong's location was already there for him to use. He speed down to the given address, steam coming out his nostrils, he didn't know this Arlong guy but he was so going to kick his ass for hurting Nami.

…

Several minutes after Luffy had ran out her door Nami stood there frozen, still kneeled on the floor, her tears had stopped and the wound from her earlier rage was shallow, she stood up slowly, going towards the bathroom to get cleaned up and bandaged.

"_What was I thinking" _she whispered… _were did Luffy go?_ She had asked for help out of anguish and desperation, but now she had to wonder if Luffy understood the situation at all.

She sighed, thinking about the events of the night before.

* * *

><p><em>-FLASHBACK<em>

She was stroking Luffy's hair absent mindedly while he slept when her cell phone buzzed, she glimpsed at the caller ID and gasped, what would Arlong want now? He had said she was free until Monday.

She got out to deck and answered.

"What is it now?" She asked coldly.

"You worthless bitch, did you think I wouldn't notice? Why are you associating with those people huh? You want out or something?"

"What are you talking about! Besides, what I do in my own free time it's my…"

"**Shut the hell up!" **Arlong roared on the other side, "You don't have FREE time, your time is MY time, and you are hooking up with some rich guy over there in the harbor. Shahahaha, what! Did you think he would rescue you or something? I been checking your new friends out, they are filthy rich I tell you, that Luffy guy is the son of the owner of the Red Force Casino".

"What?" … So Luffy was rich after all, so what, that didn't change how she felt about him... he could have been dirt poor and still she would want to be with him and the other guys.

"Shahahaha, you know I care about you Nami, so I'll give you two choices, I can send him some photos of you with our favorite costumers … or maybe, it would be more fun if your puny looking boy suffered an accident, what do you say?"

Nami fell on her knees..

"What? Why!"

"I told you the rules once, nobody gets out until I say so… or until you fill your end of our agreement" he said darkly.

"But I didn't meant to ran off with Luffy or anything! I have to think of Nojiko too!" she protested.

"**SHUT THE HELL UP!** If I catch you fooling around with that dumb looking boy one more time I swear I'll feed him to the sharks!**"**

Tears started to fall from her face, she sighed…

"_I understand", She whispered._

"You better" the line went dead.

She stood there appalled, that was too much…

She couldn't do it anymore, she had to get Free, she was only ten million short of her and Nojiko's freedom, about six to ten months of work's worth. Loosing Luffy and everyone else was way too painful, she should have never ever let them come so close to her heart, and now she would lose everybody. Never again, she would pay her and Nojiko's fee off and leave this god forsaken city once and for all. Maybe she could get a fresh start somewhere else.

Tears still running down her face, she got up slowly and walked back inside the ship

She stepped into the room to say goodbye, sitting softly on the bed, she leaned down and kissed Luffy's forehead, her lips barely brushing his skin

"_Thank you for everything" she whispered… "and..I'm sorry I can't hang out with you guys anymore…"_

She stood up and sighed, glimpsing for the first time at the old pirate ship's painting over the wall, she smiled,

"_Pirates…"_

The oil painting was crooked and she just felt the impulse to fix it the right way, pushing it softly, she felt a scratching sound and resistance behind the canvas, as if it was something behind, she took the frame and raised it slightly, and gasped when she discovered a closed safe behind.

Swallowing a lump Nami debated what to do… she was a thief, and had stolen countless of times before, but she had never stolen from a friend…

She was used to take advantage on her 'assignments' as Arlong liked to call the disgusting men that paid high fees for her time… and sometimes, her body. She had never stolen under their noses or on their 'paid time', instead she studied them first, and returned two or three weeks later, having memorized their habits, it was too risky otherwise, because if some of her assignments noticed they could report her to Arlong.

Taking a deep breath she started to work on the lock…

"_Luffy you idiot… why would you put your cell number for the combination u.u"_ she sweat-dropped and the safe opened with a soft click, and gasped when she saw the wads of berry stuck inside.

"_for the love of Oda…"_ she whispered, her quick money accounting mind calculated at least eleven to twelve million, enough to complete Arlong's fee and a little extra to run off and start fresh with Nojiko somewhere… why would Luffy have so much stashed in such careless way…

She took a pen and a paper and wrote a note.

"_Luffy..  
>I can't explain why I need this money…but believe me… right now, I do… and I don't hope you can ever forgive me… but someday I will return all of it to you plus interests… I really enjoyed my time with you guys… and I'm so sorry things turned out like this… <em>

_Nami"_

A tear rolled down her cheek and fell on the piece of paper… she put the note inside the safe, the money on her bag and looked out for Luffy's cell phone. She assumed he had some crazy apps to locate his car. Finding the gadget on a table, she took the battery out and the car keys.

She didn't want his car, just a medium to run back to the center of the city, so she speed off in the middle of the night… leaving the car on _their _meeting place over the park, the car keys hidden under the driver's seat, she was sure he had GPS or something for the car on his high tech cellphone and would find his Audi in no time.

She rushed into her apartment, going directly to her safe and opening it, gathering all the money in a big sports bag and then she took her cellphone, put on a hard face and dialed.

"Arlong" she said with a scowl, not caring it was still ungodly early, "Go get Nojiko from whenever you got her and bring her, I'm paying our freedom, I've got the money for both of us… fifty thousand million each, as promised" she said.

Arlong smirked on the other said, "Good, I love doing business with you Nami, I'll get Nojiko by this afternoon, be sure to bring me the money by that time".

Nami could almost feel the evil smile on the other side of the line, but she was sure Arlong could be trusted with this kind of transaction; after all, money was the language he spoke best. After hanging up, she sighed in relief, it will be all over soon.

She started to pack, while Keimi glanced at her from her room's door with a sad face,

"I'm so sorry Keimi" Nami whispered covering her whipping eyes with her forearm, she felt so helpless.. she didn't want to leave her roommate and friend alone.

"Don't worry Nami-chin… my troubles are not your burden to carry… besides I'm happy all your hard work finally paid off! You are so brave Nami-chin!"

Nami and Keimi embraced, kneeled on the floor and cried together for long minutes to come. After a while Keimi said she wanted to make something special for breakfast, to celebrate,

They were in the middle of a conversation when the door of their apartment started to rattle, somebody was trying to kick it down.

"Immigration Office, open the door!"

Keimi and Nami gasped and got up, of course they didn't have any papers, Arlong had smuggled them both illegally from northern countries, no passport, no id, no nothing. Being arrested by the immigration office was as much as a nightmare as working for Arlong, with no real warranties, they could be on a legal limbo for years to come, wasting away behind the bars while the government decided if they had the right to stay or should be deported.

But why! Why would the immigration office come to them on a time like this? She knew Arlong had them paid off so they wouldn't bother 'his' girls. The door was kicked open, and a thin officer with a rat face and little whisker like mustache stepped in followed by ten heavy armed officers dressed in black with the initials IMOF written in white over their chests.

"I smell illegal aliens" the main officer said pinching his whisker like mustache.

"What do you want here" Nami said standing up with a defiant face.

"I was tipped of two illegal living it up over here so I had to check, show me your Id or passport and we won't bother you at all"

"You just can't barge in into someone's apartment without a court order!" Nami demanded.

While Nami spoke she was totally ignored while the men started to walk into her apartment, a couple of them stepping inside her room.

"Hey wait a minute!" the red head protested.

"Look girlie," the officer said with fake sweetness, "I'm captain Nezumi, I don't need a court order or anything to clean this city of filth like you"

Nami bit her own lip until it started to bled, her arms shook and her fist turned white.

"Captain, we have found something interesting!" an officer shouted coming from Nami's room, in his hands he carried the bag with money.

"That is mine! Let go!" Nami shouted.

"My my… not only illegal but also stashing a suspicions amount of money! How much is there huh? With a bag like that, I would say about a hundred million? Nezizizizi"

Nami clenched her teeth in rage, she couldn't believe what was happening…  
>"Arlong.." she whispered, it wasn't casualty that he guessed such a number, it couldn't be.<p>

The rat face kept laughing and she couldn't hold herself, she jumped towards the man with the intention of whipping that stupid smirk of his mouth, but was stopped by someone grabbing her arm

"Nami… don't", Keimi whispered.

"Your friend's wise girly… tell you what, I'm feeling generous today, so I'll let you two go for now huh? Let's go boys, drinks are on me today"

The armed men shouted their approvals and started to go towards the door as Nezumi smirked proudly to the two shaken girls in front of him, it took all the strength Kemi had to restrain Nami.

After the officers where gone Nami kept staring in rage at the door, and before Keimi could react she ran off.

Half an hour later she was stepping inside Arlong's office, located on the back of a decadent strip club called Arlong Park.

"ARLONG!" She stepped in without knocking, inside the office, marble statues with little chubby cupids statues dropped water on a fountain in the back, cushions, neon lights, a big leather sofa with a zebra pattern on a corner. Arlong himself was a tall and bulky man, his skin was pale, his nose was unusually long and angular and his eyes were black and cold. He was wearing a Hawaiian style shirt revealing tick gold chains and a slightly hairy chest.

"Oh Nami, I didn't expect you this early, Nojiko isn't here yet" he said casually while he kept a bored look while glancing at the 56 inch wide screen at the back of his office, a random gangster movie playing on it.

"Arlong" Nami whispered between clenched teeth, "You used those inmigration officers to take away my money, did you!" She shouted with rage, grabbing Arlong's shirt.

"What is the meaning of this!" She continued, "you told me you wouldn't break your promise about the money!"

Arlong just glanced at her with scorn, "Break my promise? When did I break my promise"

"Don't you dare to pretend you didn't order those…"

"**TELL ME!"** he interrupted with an evil, hard glance "When did I break my promise!"

With a big hairy hand he grabbed Nami's chin, covering her mouth in the process and raising the smaller girl in the air "SHAHAHAHAHA" he mocked while the rest of his tugs followed in laugher.

"You are very unfortunate that immigration officers decided to pay you a visit today, but I'm a man of honor and a promise it's still a promise. If you can't bring me the one hundred million belly I won't give yours and Nojiko's freedom"

"You are a devil" Nami whispered while tears fell from her eyes.

"Don't worry Nami, you can collect another hundred million anytime SHAHAHAHA!"

He paused and glanced at her on the eye,

"Or do you want to escape now? Huh? I'm the only one who knows where Nojiko's and likewise, she doesn't know where you are, that is keeping her in her best behavior, or so my pal Hody tells me". The only proof Nami had her sister was alive were the monthly phone calls Arlong allowed between his and Hody's office.

Unable to bear Arlong's laugh any longer, Nami ran away from him while fat tears escaped from her eyes, all the way hearing the laughter of the disgusting man that had turned her life into a nightmare six years ago.

She ran back into her apartment, and was glad Keimi was nowhere to be found, she fell over the counter crying, totally broken, hopeless, she had lost her friends, and the only hope to get her sister and her out of a nightmare, her hand brushed a forgotten knife left on the counter after breakfast ….she took it.

"ARLONG!" she took the knife by the blade cutting her hand in the process however she couldn't feel the pain, a flesh wound was nothing compared with the feelings going through her body, she fell on her knees and rose the blade pointing it directly towards her lower abdomen.

"Arlong, if I do this maybe you won't have any more use of me!" she screamed in despair, only for her wrist to be halted by the sad and fierce dark eyes of the man that had changed her world only a few weeks back.

"_Luffy… help me…"_

_**End of Flashback**_

.

Gathering renewed strenght, she bandaged her hand and got a quick change of clothes… she fingered the hat on her head... it was his treasure... and he had lent it to her...

Somehow she knew Luffy was going to be at Arlong's, how did she knew and why did he know, it didn't matter, she had to go check on Luffy.

She started to run towards Arlong Park, her crying now forgotten; she had found new resolution, get to Luffy.

Luffy's car screeched to a stop in front of a big building called Arlong Park, signs with NUDE NUDE NUDE in neon and pictures of beautiful girls were posted outside. He got off the car and stared at the building while a big black van approached from behind and a bike rode by someone dressed in black stopped next to him.

"Oi Captain, what should we do next" Zoro said getting off the bike, the van's lateral door sled open and Franky passed a long leather case to the green haired man. Upon opening it, three beautiful crafted katana could be seen, the swordsman started to get ready for the battle.

"Easy, we kick Arlong's ass" Luffy said cracking his knuckles.

The straw hat team stepped out the van, with Robin staying behind along with Chopper inside the vehicle, several computer screens with maps, GPS positioning and cameras could be seen, Robin had a wireless headset and along with Chopper she was in charge of covering everyone's backs while their took care of business inside.

Usopp, Franky, Brook, Sanji and Zoro stepped behind their captain, and with Luffy on the lead the heavy armed team walked inside Arlong Park.

"**ARLONG!" Luffy's shout almost rattled the building, "I've come to kick your ass!"**

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><p>To be continued…<p>

Now the excitement begins!

This was a difficult chapter to write! Yeah Nami's past its heavy but I've got some more of it I'll be revealing in the next chapter. I'll talk about it in the next chap but I want to make it clear here so you guys don't freak out, Nami isn't a striper or a cheap rental girl –to put it nicely- she is like a high class escort worth a LOT of money, that is why Arlong treats her with a degree of freedom and has her living off well enough ok? –still it's a crap life- anyway next chapter her situation will be explained further.

I hope you can comment, feedback it's always welcomed!

(don't hate me about Nami's past... I saw too many episodes of Law and Order)


	9. Chapter 9

Hey Guys!

I love the feedback I got from the last chapter! Thanks again for your wonderful support!  
>You guys are so gonna hate me after this part!<p>

Ahh be sure of visiting my Deviant art account, the link its in my profile, I have a fanart about this fic and ANOTHER fanart I made of Luffy and Nami in a hot steamy kiss… it came out quite good and I hope you enjoy it!

ON WITH THE CHAPTER!

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly reality<br>Chapter 9  
>By Kaoru likes One Piece<strong>

"**ARLONG!"** Luffy's shout almost rattled the building, **"I've come to kick your ass!"**

It was a frightening sight to watch the black haired man entering the double doors like he owned the place, five people heavy armored with variations of pistols and guns behind him.

The decadent music of the place stopped, customers stood up and cowered behind tables or just dropped to the floor with their hands on their heads, the almost naked girls dancing on the stage started to fall back and the waitresses ran to hide behind the bar.

"ARLONG! SHOW YOURSELF!" the frowning raven haired man repeated.

A bulky man with short hair dressed like a judo master with a light blue robe and dark belt stepped from behind a curtain at the back of the club "Who is looking for the boss" he said without fear in his voice.

"I am" Luffy said without flinching, eyes deadly serious.

"You need an appointment to talk to boss" the man said, at this, several clicks came from behind Luffy, and Arlong's man found himself with several red laser dots on his forehead,

"This will have to do as an invitation" Zoro smirked, an unusual three barreled gun in his hand pointing directly at his enemy's forehead, on his hips, his three katana awaited hungrily for direct combat.

The man sighed and made a movement with his head, beckoning them to follow him "this way" he said.

The group stepped to the back of the club, entering Arlong's private area, a wide room with decadent decoration with zebra patterned rubs, big wide flat screen tvs and fountains awaited for them.

Sitting on a big, ornamented chair stood a man with a Hawaiian shirt and bored expression "Who wants business with me"

"Are you Arlong?" Luffy snarled.

"Yeah and you would be?" He didn't even bother looking at Luffy on the face, if he had, he would have noticed Luffy was the same man that appeared in the pictures he had acquired by sending spies to follow Nami.

Luffy said nothing, instead walking with purposeful steps next to him and with a cry of rage he sent his right flying fist towards the bigger man's chin.

Arlong couldn't even react as the force behind the hit sent him flying several feet away, landing against the wall on the back. On the back of the room, several clicking sounds came from the direction of Arlong's man.

Luffy didn't need to look at them to know his head was aimed by several enemies.

"I wouldn't aim at my captain if I were you" Zoro said smirking, the Straw Hat team had divided in two, Zoro and Usopp aimed at Arlong's head, Brook, Franky and Sanjii aimed towards Arlong's men.

"Stand up!" Luffy shouted towards Arlong, it wouldn't do to defeat this man this quickly; he wanted to pummel him over and over.

The club's boss started to get up, wiping a trail of blood coming from his mouth and spiting a tooth in the process, he was almost twice the size of Luffy and he had a really bulky complexion, but that punch had hurt.

"What business do you have with me" Arlong said in rage, looking directly at Luffy.

"Nami" the dark haired man answered simply.

"Nami? Hahaha, you are that boy! Look kid Nami has a business arrangement with me, but tell you what, I can schedule a weekend with her if you need it that badly huh? Hey Hachin, what's Nami's fare these days?"

"Fifty thousand the weekend for normal services… premium its eighty thousand" The big lipped, fat man answered, he had a weird hairstyle with all his hair pulled up and parted in three different directions.

"Sharhahshar, what do you say huh, she is the best girl I've got, you have great taste"

Every straw hat team's member snarled in rage at Arlong. Everyone but Luffy knew what premium services meant. It meant the customer could do what the hell he wished with the girl, bed her, humiliate her or even hitting her, it was all included on the fare.

"Bastard" Luffy snarled again stepping forward to punch Arlong on the face again.

"Look kid" the club's boss said getting up and dusting his black shorts off, "I'm a reasonable business man, and Nami has a business arrangement with me, you should understand that, she lives well, I take care of her, all she needs, expensive clothes, a nice apartment, even free time! Besides, her customers are the cream of the cream of this city, wealthy businessmen, politicians, celebrities! She has a great flashy life if you ask me!"

"Nami doesn't care about that shit!" Luffy stepped towards Arlong at an incredibly speed and his fist sank on the other man's stomach making him bend over and fall back on his knees.

"Fucker" Arlong snarled gasping for air, he glanced at his men, but they were unable to do a thing, if somebody dared shoot, a rain of bullets would start between the two parties, and that didn't bode well for neither of them.

"Get up" Luffy demanded.

"How do you know she doesn't huh? Did you know what kind of cold blooded bitch she is? I know Nami well! She has been my property for six years now"

Arlong started to walk back towards his liquor cabinet and calmly poured himself some whisky, if he did that to gain time to think or he needed it to ease the pain on his throbbing face and abdomen, nobody knew. As he did this, Luffy's cold eyes followed his every movement, he was not about to attack a man that had his back to him, he would wait.

Arlong started to rant again as he sipped his liquor, "Every girl I bring is weak willed, crying, begging trying to escape, they are a pain on the ass, those stupid, cheap bitches, gotta give them drugs to keep them going just a bit longer but eventually all waste away…"

Luffy's fist were so tight that his knuckles where turning white, his hands shook and his frown was deep with barely held rage.

"…But Nami! Ohh Nami its different, as soon as I brought her sister and her she cut a deal with me! A deal with a man like me! She should have been terrified! And instead she looked at me in the eye and made a business proposition! I was so impressed" he sipped his whiskey again, always giving his back to Luffy.

"I understood then that Nami is special, she understood my language, so she got a special treatment! And she never disappoints, she is my favorite amongst the best paying and difficult customers, word is that no matter what you do to her, she doesn't cry. That's some cold blood.-URGGFFFF"

Luffy wasn't one to go hitting his enemies from behind… but he would make an exception with this bastard! He grabbed Arlong's head and smashed it against his liquor bar, braking glasses and bottles and even wood, debris flew everywhere and the bastard man stood there immobile with his head stuck on a big hole inside the bar.

"DON'T TALK TRASH LIKE THAT ABOUT NAMI! OF COURSE SHE ISN'T HAPPY WITH YOU!" Luffy shouted with rage.

Arlong stood up once again, his face bloody, his patient worn out, at first he wanted to see what was the deal with this Luffy guy, he wasn't curious anymore, he wasn't about let this scrawny looking boy to hit him again, he spat some blood to the floor.

"What do you want!" He demanded, his face finally twisted on rage.

"To kick your ass!" Luffy answered simply.

"WHY!"

"BECAUSE YOU MADE NAMI CRY!" and that was all that mattered to Luffy as he charged once again towards the bigger man, Arlong was expecting his attack this time around and he managed to dodge with great agility for a man his size.

The fight had officially begun, Arlong nailed Luffy a couple of times but the smaller man held his own, they were both gasping for air when suddenly a womanly desperate shout interrupted them.

"ARLONG!" Nami cried out in rage stepping into the room, her eyes froze at the scene in front of her, Luffy had his fist bloodied and Arlong's face looked bloated, the rest of her friends had heavy weapons on them and they were aimed towards Arlong's men.

She froze, "what… what is this" She couldn't believe she was witnessing harmless looking Usopp with a couple of guns, one aimed at Arlong, the other at his men.

"Stay back, Nami" Luffy said without taking his eyes out his enemy.

"Luffy…" she whispered falling on her knees, a hand covering her mouth in shock and surprise.

"Don't worry Nami everything will be fine" the dark haired boy reassured.

"But… Nojiko" she whispered.

"SHASHASHASHA! What! Did the little bitch forget to tell you the reason she cut a deal with me? I have her sister! You can't touch me, not if you want Nami's sister to live!"

Robin, who was listening to the whole thing from the van inside the building smirked, while she connected a call, Luffy's cell phone ringed with the tone of the song -I'm on fire!- and he knew he just had to answer, ignoring Arlong totally he pulled out the phone, his face switched to a happy grin as he answered (as if he wasn't in the middle of a fight and several weapons weren't aimed at this head)

"Yo Ace!" he said, he seemed to listen intently, nodding a couple of times "Is that so? That is great! Ahh Robin did? Hahaha, yeah I know… alright alright, Shanks says you gotta visit soon, yeah ahamm… HAHAHA!"

His team sweat-dropped and Zoro snapped at him with evil eyes and shark teeth "Don't you have fighting to do!"

"Ohh Ace, sorry gotta go kick some guy's ass"

-Arlong snarled-

"Ahh yes, wait I'm gonna give her the phone… OI NAMI!" He said getting her attention and tossing her the phone "There's your sister there on the phone Shishishishi!"

Nami took the phone and whispered a faint "Nojiko…" when she heard the answer on the other side, fresh tears of happiness started to fall from her eyes, she nodded over and over and seemed relieved.

"What ARE you people!" Arlong snarled, understanding that somehow they had gotten a hold of his pal Hody Jones.

"CP9" Luffy smirked.

Arlong took a step back and clenched his teeth, this was bad, he knew what CP9 was all about, they took what they wanted, when they wanted, they weren't exactly the 'good' guys, they weren't police, they had no rules.

"Codename…" he whispered, Arlong belonged to the criminal underworld, he knew CP9, he knew the codename was the only way to know which team had their eyes on you.

"Straw hat" Luffy smirked.

Arlong clenched his teeth in rage and frustration, Straw Hat team was known to have taken down big shots like Enel, Crocodile, Don Krieg… the list went on and on, for a second, he had to wonder if he was match for them at all.

"So… you ARE Straw Hat Luffy!" Arlong snarled agan.

"Yep"

Nami had already hung up with Nojiko and her eyes stood frozen on Luffy's back…

"What are you guys" she whispered, not understanding but happy nonetheless that they were there to help her. Unfortunately her whisper got Arlong's attention and the man turned his cold eyes towards her, he noticed the straw hat on Nami's head and added two plus two… Straw hat Luffy was known to carry such a hat to every mission… for her to carry such a thing….

In rage and frustration, he swiftly pulled a small gun from the back of his shirt and aimed at Nami, firing away without a second thought.

"NAMI!" Luffy jumped in front of her… the bullets impacting on his back, his body fell next to her, his eyes closed in a painful frown.

"Luffy!" Nami cried out going to him… "Luffy! Say something!"

He didn't answer her.

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><p><strong>To be continued…<strong>

DON'T HATE ME!

I know it's an horrible cliffhanger! Sorry! Gotta keep you guys hooked to this fic all the way to the end huh?

:)  
>Hate it? Love it? Made you cry? TELL ME, please!<p>

I will update soon! C' you guys next chapter!


	10. Chapter 10

Hey guys!

I'm sorry for making you wait this update! Work and a complicated chapter made it difficult, but here it is!

Like always, I want to thank everyone that took time to review, it's much appreciated; I also try to answer every review personally, but many people review anonymously, like Poky, Asumi and many others. And also to the fateful reviewers, Mora, Nami-chan, Neko11, Zoro and Luna believer, Eileen, LuNa forever, GreenCyberWolf… and many more I must be forgetting –sorry- **thank you guys again  
><strong>

And finally! We have no One Piece Manga this week, but hey! 2-oct! THE CREW IS GETTING BACK TOGHETER IN THE ANIME! At least!

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><p><strong>Go to the New World!<strong>

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<strong>  
><em>by Kaoru likes One Piece<em>

After the shots were heard several things happened at once, first, Usopp fired with such accuracy towards Arlong's hand that he made the bigger man's pistol fly away without even harming his fingers, at the same time Nami rushed to catch Luffy from his fall, his head cushioned on her ample bosom, they both ended knelled on the floor, with Luffy moaning softly in pain.

"Luffy answer me!" she said reaching to his back side looking for injuries, she couldn't see any blood but his shirt was a deep rich red, she could be wrong.

"Lucky bastard" Sanji muttered, slightly jealous of his captain.

Finally desperate Nami reached to the back of his shirt and pulled it up, revealing a tick black bulletproof vest with dull bullet hits imprints on it.

"A VEST!"she shouted, "Luffy!" she demanded an answer again, but it came muffled by her bosom once again.

She pulled him away grabbing his shoulders and he took a deep breath "Why didn't you answer me you moron!" she shouted outraged.

"I couldn't breathe" he explained simply, gasping for air.

"Luffy a bulletproof vest! How? It's NOT like you…. I'm so glad!" she kept saying while she hugged him, he just laughed stupidly.

Usopp huffed, "that is because he almost died before, what was it the fourth or the fifth time he got shot? Huh? The last time he was in coma Shanks had to threaten him to expel Luffy from the agency if he wasn't more careful" Usopp explained, and to this Luffy just laughed some more

"I wasn't gonna die anyways"

Everyone rolled their eyes "IDIOT, you are not a super hero or something like that, like you got super powers or something" Nami said relieved scolding and hugging at the same time.

"Hahaha, that would be so cool huh? I always thought having rubber like powers would be pretty neat!" he said standing up "Because I sure hate getting shot at!" and with this he seemed to remember Arlong's offence.

The bigger man was nursing his hand and looking at the group in front of him with pure hatred, his men were unable to act and he was unarmed, for a moment he felt at a loss of words.

"That was so cowardly" Luffy said stepping towards him once again "Why don't you fight like a man you BASTARD!" the Straw Hat captain charged towards his opponent with a fist raised and Arlong had no other choice than to fight back, Luffy's fist connected with the taller man's jaw while Arlong managed to kick him on the stomach, they both fell back gasping.

"What are you doing you fools! SHOOT!" Arlong howled and several things happened at once. Sanji got to Nami and pulled her swiftly behind Arlong's desk, Zoro charged against Arlong's men stationed on the back of the room while Usopp covered for him with a flurry of bullets, amazingly enough, the long nose who was the best shooter on the team managed hold back the entire group while Arlong's men cowered to a corner.

With big surprised eyes Nami watched as Luffy got serious about the fight and started to move with amazing grace and agility, bullets where flying towards him from the back of the room and he just kicked a random chair up and stopped them, next he kicked it towards Arlong forcing the other man cover his face with his arms.

"I'm gonna break your stupid fish looking nose!" Luffy roared charging towards Arlong again,

One of his men's bullet almost got to Arlong and the saw nosed man roared "What are you doing you fools! Stop shooting at me!" his men looked stupefied at him at a loss on what to do next.

The fat big lipped man with the hair parted in three reacted first and reached for a pair of crude looking scimitar swords that hung from the wall next to him, Zoro grinned in satisfaction, at least real combat. They engaged in a flurry of swords slashes, the fat man using two at the same time and Zoro with his unusual Santoryu three swords style.

The bulky man dressed in a judo robe started to charge towards Luffy and Arlong, however Sanji jumped to meet him halfway, engaging in fierce battle of kicks.

"I don't understand why are you doing this! We are not that big, you won't even get a big loot out of us!" Arlong said blocking yet another kick aimed at his face.

"Because you hurt Nami… **AND NOBODY MESSES WITH MY FRIENDS!"** Luffy roared charging yet again with a flurry of fists, overcoming the other man by the second until Arlong started to fall back step by step, only managing to cover his face.

In the end Luffy managed to connect a hard uppercut to the taller man's chin and sent him flying towards a fish tank on a corner of the room, he crashed into it smashing the glass and sending water flying everywhere, Arlong laid there with his nose bloody and broken, his eyes white while colorful fishes jumped on top of him as they fought to get back towards the spilled water.

Luffy grinned whipping a thin trail of blood falling from the corner of his mouth "Haha, sleep with the fishes, bastard!"

At the same time Zoro and Sanji defeated their own opponents and the rest of Arlong's henchmen dropped their weapons, they knew the long nosed man could shot them between the eyes before they could even blink.

Nami took her hand to her mouth, amazed, her eyes frozen on Luffy's back while he just dusted his black short pants casually and turned around, smiling the widest innocent carefree smile Nami ever saw in a human being, her hearth melted and she just stood up.

Their gazes locked for a second and she finally ran to him, locking him in a tight hug, small tears of happiness rolling down her face "thank you.." she just whispered.

He just grinned "Shishishi, told you nobody hurts my friends" he said casually, everyone nodded reassuring Nami and the group started to head out, not long after that black dressed agents stepped into the building saluting the straw hat team and heading towards Arlong and his men, it was the "cleanup" division, they had been called by Robin.

Arlong and his men won't be seeing the light of the sun for a long long time, if ever at all. CP9 managed the underground, top secret prison of Impel Down, not even trials where necessary to end up there.

When they were out of the building several black cars with bold yellow letters marked IMOF stopped in front of them, agent Nezumi stepping quickly out, his mouth agape as he saw several men with back unmarked uniforms carrying Arlong's men towards black unmarked cars.

"What is the meaning of this" he demanded, approaching Nami when he noticed her among a strange group of individuals "you!" he said.

"What do you want!" she roared, challenging, "You already got what you want! Don't you!"

At that moment Nezumi's eyes froze when he noticed two men carrying an unconscious and bloody Arlong, handcuffed by the hands and feet "I don't understand!" he whispered.

Nezumi had just arrived to deliver Arlong's share of money that he had taken out of Nami earlier… he couldn't believe the other man had been defeated by whoever stood there.

"Well…. It doesn't matter anyway, all the more share for me Nezihihihihi!" he smirked with his mouse like squeaky laughter.

Nami clenched her teeth, she didn't care about that money anymore, but seeing such a blatantly corrupt man made her blood boil, her fist turning white in rage "why you…." she whispered.

The straw hat team just looked at the IMOF agents silently, maybe trying to determine whether they were a threat or not.

"What did you say something?" Nezumi smirked, "May I remind your current status in this country?" he mocked.

Robin rose an eyebrow and stepped out the Van, "If I may have your attention mister agent, I think you would be mistaken about miss Mizuno's identity?"

She handled a passport to Nezumi, the man reluctantly accepted the document and opening it he found Nami's picture alongside her full name, NAMI MIZUNO, Place of birth.. date, social security number, etc etc. Everything seemed in order, but he KNEW Nami wasn't legal at all.

"What.. how.. where" he muttered. "This must be wrong" he finally said with a scowl.

"Ohh but CP9 its never wrong" Robin smiled for him. Nezumi took a step back "And if you may be so kind as handle the money you took earlier from our friend over there we will appreciate it very much" Robin said business-like. The looks the IMOF agent was receiving from the other people around Nami gave him the chills.

Responding to his cowardly nature he didn't take the chance and ordered his men to handle the money over to Nami, they left the place feeling defeated and overpowered, a light fate considered their corruptness deserved far worse punishment… the world isn't perfect.

Still, for a certain orange headed girl things where looking up pretty well. They spent that day over Robin's place telling Nami all about CP9 and making it clear for her, they didn't care about her past or her background… they all had similar difficult pasts too.

Luffy mostly slept on the couch trough the whole thing, he didn't care either way about Nami or anyone's past for that matter, that they were good people now, it was all he cared about.

About the money, Nami finally decided first, to give Luffy back what she took the night before… she was ashamed but he waved her apologies away, and the rest Kaya suggested that if she didn't want it she could help by open a charity for women in difficult situations like the one Nami had to suffer. She agreed.

Days started to go by, and Nami began the slow but sure process of getting her freedom and her life back, after Keimi learnt the news the green haired girl cried for hours to an end and finally decided to go back to her country, where her grandma Kokoro and her niece Chimney could offer a home and a family to go back to.

Feeling uncomfortable about living in her Arlong sponsored luxury apartment alone Nami took Robin's suggestion and moved into the older woman's place, they would have to share a room but Robin didn't mind at all.

The third day after Arlong was defeated Luffy picked Nami up, she was amazed he treated her like nothing happened, and like he claimed he truly didn't care about her past, it was her the one that felt weird and awkward around him.

"So… what is the big surprise huh?" she said glimpsing at Luffy, amazingly enough he was driving fast but like a normal person, he seemed deep in though.

"You will see," he said smiling.

When he took the highway towards the airport she squirmed nervously in her seat, she had a feeling about what he had in mind.

The wondered around the arrival platform not knowing at which door to await, since Luffy couldn't remember –obviously- so she stood there with a scowl waiting while he just glimpsed around franticly.

Nami certainly was distracted when a familiar voice reached her ears.

"Nami!" the orange headed woman turned around slowly and things got surreal for her when she glimpsed at the joyful face of her sister waving at her, the noisy ambient of the airport forgotten, she started to run towards the other woman, jumping into her arms and laughing in joy.

Six years… it had taken six years from that fateful day they ripped the two young girls from their adoptive mother and sold them to a life of sexual exploitation and slavery.

All of it was forgotten while they both wept kneeled on the floor, people coming and going with their luggage around them, not knowing and not caring about the importance of such a reunion, that is except two young men that stood behind each of the girls, smirking at each other, obviously satisfied that things had made right for this pair of women.

Ace was quick to notice Nami's beauty and he had to wonder about his brother's intentions, Luffy was known to go out of his way for any friend, it didn't matter if the woman happened to be hot as hell, the big bro knew this.

He would stay around for a while and see for himself, besides, he had heard rumors about the man he was looking for, nickname, Blackbeard, he had supposedly escaped to New Logetown, so yeah, he could afford to wait and see, and as he glimpsed at Nojiko he smirked.

He wasn't his brother, he would go out the way for a friend any day, yes… but he wouldn't have offered to book a flight with join seats in first class, ask for days off to old man Whitebeard and fly all the way to Logetown with the excuse of visiting his family if the blue haired girl wasn't so hot.

"This would be an interesting vacation huh?" he commented to his brother and Luffy answered with a blank face, obviously not getting the meaning behind Ace's words. The older brother laughed and ruffled Luffy's hair, earning an angry scowl in the process.

"You never change, do you Luffy?"

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><p><strong>To be continued...<strong>

Phew! Part of the plot is over! And for second, things were starting to wrap up and I thought…. Is this fic finishing in this chapter?

No, I refuse; we still have some LuNa left and the stuff about the beating Nami got, that won't go unpunished either, you will learn who did it soon.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I didn't want to make the fights long or boring, and I brought you Ace! At first I didn't knew if I should but hey! We all love the big bro!

Please, drop me a note, tell me what you think!

Thanks!

Ahh

PS: GO TO THE NEW WORLD!


	11. Chapter 11

Hello everyone, I'm deeply sorry this part took ridiculously long, in fact I even had lost faith that I would ever officially finish this fic. Sure in the past chapter I took out the main "boss" of the story and wrapped up things a little bit.

And as one reviewer pointed out, things felt a little bit "epilog-ish" and rushed. I think I may have overdone it a little.

Nevertheless I recently received a review from Reignashii and I quote

_"this is one of the best damn AU story I've ever read. I sure as hell hope it's not ending soon, cause it looks like there could be more happening in this story. I would seriously love to see more of this story. not to mention see more LuNa 3 your story made me love the couple even more, it's the really rare for me to want to favorite a story right away XD please update!"_

Thanks Reignashii, those words encouraged me to come out of hiatus and try to really wrap up this fic.

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><p>So without further ado I hope you enjoy this chapter<p>

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><p><strong>Hope in the Ugly Reality<strong>  
>Chapter 11<br>By Kaoru likes One Piece

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><p>Luffy was pacing back and forth all over the hallway, he usually was very confident about stuff, but right now, he couldn't help being nervous while there were no news about how Nami was doing.<p>

"For the love of Oda Luffy, be still for a second, just take a seat, she will be fine"

"But Usopp!" the black haired man complained and pouted like a child

"Calm down, you are not usually like this, don't you have confidence in her?"

"OF COURSE I DO!" Luffy shouted, and placing a 'thought look' all over his face took a seat while a thin line of sweat rolled down his chin.

A couple of minutes later, the black door at the end of the hallway opened, and out stepped Nami with a serious expression, she was dressed very simply, black pants and white dress shirt with the last buttons left open, revealing just enough of her ample bosom.

"What happened Nami? Did it go ok?" Luffy couldn't help to ask.

She approached Usopp and Luffy very slowly, always wearing her blank expression, and then she literally jumped into Luffy's arms and squealed "I'm IN! I PASSED!"

She was now an official member of the Straw Hat team, Usopp congratulated Nami and from the opposite end of the hallway several 'heads' peeked from around the corner.

"Guys I passed!" she repeated, and then the hallway was full of laughter and congratulations.

And congratulations where well deserved because Nami had just passed very rigorous examinations in order to enter the CP9 organization. Some people in the higher ups doubted Nami had the right qualifications to become a member, and objected Shanks and Luffy's decisions based on the biased position they were in, and other captains –namely Hanckock- had objected on the basis that you just couldn't go around saving 'whores' and adding them up to the team.

Ultimately, Nami enrolled in a special training regime, and had to pass a series of tests and trials. Of course she did it with flying colors, and had specialized on the Surveillance, Planning and Logistics department; she would assist Robin and Chopper while on field missions. Of course she received a course on basic combat skills and weapons, so she could defend or assist her team in case of necessity, plus, she was especially good with a bo staff.

Six months had gone by since she was released from Arlong's grasp, and she never imagined that she would end up working as a secret agent of sorts, but Nami was glad she accepted Luffy's offer, not only it would provide a career for her, she would also have the pleasure of taking out scumbags from the streets and earning a lot of money out of it. Not to mention, the trill of the missions and the possibility to have assignments all over the world…

She kept constant communication with her sister and she had even gone to stay with her in their mother's old farm for a couple of weeks to help … but she had found out that such a tranquil life was not for her, and soon she was back in the city and starting her training. Besides, Nojiko wouldn't be alone with Ace dropping by every other week to 'check on her'.

Nami grumbled, why did she have to end up with the 'dumb' brother?

Speaking of which…

"But SHANKS! That's sooo boring" complained Luffy for the tenth time. Everyone was over the Akagami family's country house, celebrating Nami's addition to the team.

"Luffy dear, you know I wouldn't ask you if it wasn't important but we are looking forward to this vacation… we weren't counting on getting invited to Saint Rosswald's daughter's coming of age party… and we can't have that kind of people offended".

"Who throws a party for things like that nowadays anyway?" Zoro rolled his eyes and tsked then he continued to drink his sake.

"Do you understand now Luffy? If we don't go they expect nothing less than my own heir and beloved son to attend" Shanks said with a melodramatic voice.

Luffy just rolled his eyes and huffed "Send Ace"

"He already ditched me"

"YOU ASKED HIM FIRST?" Luffy shouted outraged.

"OF COURSE I did! You always act like a beast on formal parties, and I didn't want to risk getting some of that people offended!" At this comment everyone, including Nami, started to laugh on behalf of Luffy that just blushed furiously and crossed his arms.

"that is.. not true!"

"Don't worry ma boy, I have a backup plan" and Shanks pinched Nami's cheek while saying "I'll send our new member on a special mission"

"So I get to babysit the moron…"

"hey!" Objected said moron.

"Isn't it wonderful dear? You will get to go to a ball party and dress up and all" Makino commented with a big, wide smile. Nami just sighed and her shoulders dropped in defeat. She KNEW just how important this vacation was for the older woman, her someday to be mother in law had told her in repeated occasions just how much work Shanks always had, how they never got to get vacations abroad, and so on, she was looking forward this so much that Nami couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Don't worry, I'll make sure he behaves… but I can't promise anything".

"Perfect!" Shanks said grinning, "Now that that's taken care of… when would you two marry? I want those grandchildren y' know"

Everyone face faulted and a very embarrassed couple had to stand the grandchildren jokes for several minutes to come.

Some days later, the evening of the party, Nami glanced at her reflection on the full length mirror on her room and sighed, she looked beautiful, elegant, refined, her hair was up on a bun leaving a few waving strands down, she had a pearl neacle and a tight red spaghetti dress with a very high cut on the side that reveled her long stylish legs beautifully, the only thing that didn't match was the lack of her smile.

"You look beautiful, and you should smile, it's not every day that Luffy agrees to take you somewhere fancy with the promise of behaving"

Robin said to Nami's reflection. The older woman knew what was bothering Nami, after all, the younger girl had had her share of fancy parties in the past. Back when she still worked as an 'executive escort' for Arlong she used to go to such parties all the time with politicians and rich business men.

"I rather be on the ship with you guys having a barbecue and watching Luffy stuff his face while Chopper screams for a doctor"

At this both women started to laugh whole heartily.

When Luffy picked Nami up for the party her jaw literally dropped to the sight in front of her…

Deep red silk dress shirt, black slacks, a TIE and a matching jacket, but he was frowning and looked unhappy.

"Makino forced me to wear these stupid shoes", he said with a scowl.

Nami just laughed at his antics, sometimes instead of twenty six, Luffy acted like he was five. Nami just shook her head thinking what good and hard work Shanks and Makino had made raising Luffy, even with proper education he behaved like a little wild thing, for a moment Nami had to wonder what would be of Luffy if he had stayed on the streets with Ace instead. She shook that thought away and just climbed into the car.

"Aren't you going to tell me I look beautiful or something?" She told her boyfriend, offended as any woman would be after so many hours of preparations.

"Huh? I sorry, you look nice" he said more as a mechanism of defense than a real praise.

"NICE? JUST NICE"

"Look Nami I really don't care how you look; I'll love you anyways" he said casually while the car started.

Her eyes glazed over and she looked away from him, glancing out the windows towards the streets, with a barely audible, chocking voice she uttered…

"That still is no compliment… moron"

The party was just as Nami expected it to be, on a mansion, full of stuck up people that believed they were God's gift to humanity. They were introduced into a big ball room with glass chandeliers, beautiful windows with a view of the garden, marble floors; on a corner a small orchestra was playing classical music. Arranged against the walls opposite to the windows there where tables with appetizers of all kinds and shapes. She took Luffy's arm, preventing him to run off towards the food, he frowned in disgust.

"But Nami, I'm hungry!"

"You always are, and besides I bet Makino fed you before coming here, am I right?"

"Yeah… but I'm only sixty percent full"

"I'll get you something later when everybody starts to get drunk and won't care about your manners anymore, ok?"

Luffy didn't look convinced but nodded nevertheless.

Nami knew this kind of party's protocols so she chatted with everyone that recognized Luffy as Shank's son, keeping her captain and boyfriend in check and good behavior.

"I'm bored" he complained for the fifth time. Nami just patted his hand and smiled, he was behaving, as bored and hungry and against Luffy's nature was being in a party like that, Nami knew the only reason he was being good was because he didn't want to disappoint Shanks.

"Then come, take me dancing" She pulled his arm and he didn't have any choice but to follow.

"But Nami! I don't wanna dance I don't know how and this dance looks stupid and boring"

"Oh really, any old guy here is brave enough to go out and dance and you are telling me you can't?"

Luffy growled at her, she just KNEW where to hit to make him do her bidding; he frowned and watched the old guys' feet. One two, step, one two, step…

Luffy smiled, the movements were easy for him, and after all, he was a fighting genius.

He took Nami swiftly and started guiding her swiftly across the dance floor, and as clumsy as he was with other kind of things, he didn't miss one step while dancing, not when he had been challenged.

He would show Nami he could dance better than any of those old farts.

Nami was glowing, she couldn't believe Luffy was guiding her so perfectly, and they made a beautiful match it seemed, because a crowd had formed around them, and people stopped dancing instead to watch this young couple, even the birthday girl was forgotten, the poor thing still ugly in spite of the very expensive dress, the professional makeup and stylists her parents had hired for the occasion.

A fat, ugly, dark haired man in his mid-thirties picked his nose while watching Nami and Luffy dance, he smirked, and his sister, Saint Shalulia, the honored girl of the party, stepped next to him.

"Ugly bitch, isn't she? But the man next to her, he looks cute, I'll ask papa to get him from me" she smirked.

"I know the girl…"

"Really? Was she one of father's gifts brother? Because I don't recognize her from any of the noble families" Shalulia asked while never taking her eyes out of Luffy.

"She was my favorite toy" he answered, swallowing hard in excitement, a thin line of mucus sliding down his nose, an evil, perverted smile shadowing his features.

* * *

><p>To be Continued (soon!).<p>

That is all for this chapter guys, I really hope you enjoyed it and that interest in this fic isn't lost.

I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes, I got a little rusty!

Drop me a note please, I love reading your comments!


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